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THE    COURT 


OF 


THE    EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE 

BY 

IMBERT    DE    SAINT-AMAND 


TRANSLATED   BY 
THOMAS  SERGEANT  PERRY 


ILLUSTRATED 


NEW  YORK 
CHARLES   SCRIBNER'S    SONS 

1901 


COFYRIGHT,  189O, 

BY  CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS, 


t  •:  • 


THE  CAXTON  PRESS 
NEW  YORK. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  rAOS 

L    The  Beginning  op  the  Empire 1 

n.    The  Journey  to  the  Banks  of  the  Bhine 20 

in.    The  Pope's  Arrival  at  Fontaineblbau 29 

rV,    The  Preparations  for  the  Coronation 39 

V.    The  Coronation 49 

VL    The  Distribution  of  Flags 67 

VIL    The  Festivities 76 

Vni.    The  Etiquette  op  the  Imperial  Palace 87 

IX.    The  Household  op  the  Empress 102 

X.    Napoleon's  Gallantries 110 

XL    The  Pope  at  the  Tuileries 115 

XIL    The  Journey  in  Italy 124 

XIIL    The  Coronation  at  Milan 135 

XIV.    The  Festivities  at  Genoa 147 

XV.    During  the  Campaign  op  Austerutz 153 

XVL    The  Marriage  of  Prince  Eugene 173 

XVn.    Paris  in  the  Beginning  op  1806 194 

XVIII.    The  Marriage  of  the  Prince  of  Baden 200 

320345       ' 


Vi  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PAOK 

XIX.    The  New  Queen  op  Holland 210 

XX.    The  Empress  at  Matencb 221 

XXI.    The  Return  op  the  Empress  to  Paris 243 

XXn.    The  Death  op  the  Young  Napoleon 260 

XXm.    The  End  op  the  War 269 

XXrV.    The  Emperor's  Return 279 

XXV.    The  Court  at  Fontaineblbau 291 

XXVI.    The  End  op  the  Year  1807 307 


THE  COURT 

OF 

THE    EMPRESS   JOSEPHINE 


THB 

COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  EMPIEB. 

"  rpWO-THIRDS  of  my  life  is  passed,  why  should 
JL  I  so  distress  myself  about  what  remains?  The 
most  brilliant  fortune  does  not  deserve  all  the  trouble 
I  take,  the  pettiness  I  detect  in  myself,  or  the  humil- 
iations and  shame  I  endure  ;  thirty  years  will  destroy 
those  giants  of  power  which  can  be  seen  only  by 
raising  the  head;  we  shall  disappear,  I  who  am  so 
petty,  and  those  whom  I  regard  so  eagerly,  from 
whom  I  expected  all  my  greatness.  The  most  de- 
sirable of  all  blessings  is  repose,  seclusion,  a  little 
spot  we  can  call  our  own."  When  La  Bruy^re  ex- 
pressed himself  so  bitterly,  when  he  spoke  of  the 
court  "  which  satisfies  no  one,"  but  "  prevents  one 
from  being  satisfied  anywhere  else,"  of  the  court, 
"that  country  where  the  joys  are  visible  but  false, 
and  the  sorrows  hidden,  but  real,"  he  had  before  him 
the  brilliant  Palace  of  Versailles,  the  unrivalled  glory 
of  the  Sun  King,  a  monarchy  which  thought  itself 
immovable  and  eternal.     What  would  he  say  in  this 

1 


t/^    yipk^T  OF  THS  BMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

century  when  dynasties  fall  like  autumn  leaves,  and 
it  takes  much  less  than  thirty  years  to  destroy  the 
giants  of  power ;  when  the  exile  of  to-day  repeats  to 
the  exile  of  the  morrow  the  motto  of  the  churchyard : 
Sodie  mihi^  eras  tibif  What  would  this  Christian 
philosopher  say  at  a  time  when  royal  and  imperial 
palaces  have  been  like  caravansaries  through  which 
sovereigns  have  passed  like  travellers,  and  when 
their  brief  resting-places  have  been  consumed  by  the 
blaze  of  petroleum  and  are  now  but  a  heap  of  ashes  ? 
The  study  of  any  court  is  sure  to  teach  wisdom 
and  indifference  to  human  glories.  In  our  France  of 
the  nineteenth  century,  fickle  as  it  has  been,  incon- 
stant, fertile  in  revolutions,  recantations,  and  changes 
of  every  sort,  this  lesson  is  more  impressive  than  it 
has  been  at  any  period  of  our  history.  Never  has 
Providence  shown  more  clearly  the  nothingness  of 
this  world's  grandeur  and  magnificence.  Never  has 
the  saying  of  Ecclesiastes  been  more  exactly  verified : 
"  Vanity  of  vanities  ;  all  is  vanity  I "  We  have 
before  us  the  task  of  describing  one  of  the  most 
sumptuous  courts  that  has  ever  existed,  and  of  re- 
viewing splendors  all  the  more  brilliant  for  their 
brevity.  To  this  court  of  Napoleon  and  Josephine, 
to  this  majestic  court,  resplendent  with  glory,  wealth, 
and  fame,  may  well  be  applied  Corneille's  lines :  — 

"  All  your  happiness 
Subject  to  instability 
In  a  moment  falls  to  the  ground, 
And  as  it  has  the  brilliancy  of  glass 
It  also  has  its  fragility." 


THE  BEGINNING   OF  THE  EMPIRE.  3 

■ 

We  shall  evoke  the  memory  of  the  dead  to  revive 
this  vanished  court,  and  we  shall  consult,  one  after 
another,  the  persons  who  were  eye-witnesses  of  these 
short-lived  wonders.  A  prefect  of  the  palace,  M.  de 
Bausset,  wrote :  "  When  I  recall  the  memorable 
times  of  which  I  have  just  given  a  faint  idea,  I  feel, 
after  so  many  years,  as  if  I  had  been  taking  part  in 
the  gorgeous  scenes  of  the  Arabian  Tales  or  of  the 
Thousand  and  One  Nights.  The  magic  picture  of  all 
those  splendors  and  glories  has  disappeared,  and  with 
it  all  the  prestige  of  ambition  and  power."  One  of 
the  ladies  of  the  palace  of  the  Empress  Josephine, 
Madame  de  R^musat,  has  expressed  the  same  thought : 
"I  seem  to  be  recalling  a  dream,  but  a  dream  re- 
sembling an  Oriental  tale,  when  I  describe  the  lavish 
luxury  of  that  period,  the  disputes  for  precedence, 
the  claims  of  rank,  the  demands  of  every  one."  Yes, 
in  all  that  there  was  something  dreamlike,  and  the 
actors  in  that  fairy  spectacle  which  is  called  the 
Empire,  that  great  show  piece,  with  its  scenery,  now 
brilliant,  now  terrible,  but  ever  changing,  must  have 
been  even  more  astonished  than  the  spectators.  Aix- 
la-Chapelle  and  the  court  of  Charlemagne,  the  castle 
of  Fontainebleau  and  the  Pope,  Notre  Dame  and 
the  coronation,  the  Champ  de  Mars  and  the  distribu- 
tion of  eagles,  the  Cathedral  of  Milan  and  the  Iron 
Crown,  Genoa  the  superb  and  its  naval  festival, 
Austerlitz  and  the  three  emperors,  —  what  a  setting  I 
what  accessories  I  what  personages  I  The  peal  of 
organs,  the  intoning  of  priests,  thf*  applause  of   the 


4  COURT  OF  THE  EMPEES8  JOSEriTIMJS, 

'  —  II 

multitude  and  of  tlie  soldiers,  the  groans  of  the 
dying,  the  trumpet  call,  the  roll  of  the  drum,  ball 
music,  military  bands,  the  cannon's  roar,  were  the 
joyful  and  mournful  harmonies  heard  while  the  play 
went  on.  What  we  shall  study  amid  this  tumult 
and  agitation  is  one  woman.  We  have  already 
studied  her  as  the  Viscountess  of  Beauharnais,  as 
Citizeness  Bonaparte,  and  as  the  wife  of  the  First 
Consul.  We  shall  now  study  her  in  her  new  part, 
that  of  Empress. 

Let  us  go  back  to  May  18, 1804,  to  the  Palace  of 
Saint  Cloud.  The  Emperor  had  just  been  proclaimed 
by  the  Senate  before  the  plShiscite  which  was  to 
ratify  the  new  state  of  things.  The  curtain  has  risen, 
the  play  begins,  and  no  drama  is  fuller  of  contrasts, 
of  incidents,  of  movement.  The  leading  actor,  Napo- 
leon, was  already  as  familiar  with  his  part  as  if  he 
had  played  it  since  his  childhood.  Josephine  is  also 
at  home  in  hers.  As  a  woman  of  the  world,  she  had 
learned,  by  practice  in  the  drawing-room,  to  win  even 
greater  victories.  For  a  fashionable  beauty  there  is 
no  great  difference  between  an  armchair  and  a  throne. 
The  minor  actors  are  not  so  accustomed  to  their  new 
position.  Nothing  is  more  amusing  than  the  embar- 
rassment of  the  courtiers  when  they  have  to  answer 
the  Emperor's  questions.  They  begin  with  a  blunder ; 
then,  in  correcting  themselves,  they  fall  into  still 
worse  confusion ;  ten  times  a  minute  was  repeated, 
Sire,  General,  Your  Majesty,  Citizen,  First  Consul. 
Constant,  the  Emperor's  valet  de  chambre,  has  given 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  EMPIRE.  5 

US  a  description  of  this  18tli  of  May,  1804,  a  day 
devoted  to  receptions,  presentations,  interviews,  and 
congratulations :  "  Every  one,"  he  says,  "  was  filled 
with  joy  in  the  Palace  of  Saint  Cloud;  every  one 
imagined  that  he  had  risen  a  step,  like  General  Bona- 
parte, who,  from  First  Consul,  had  become  a  monarch. 
Men  were  embracing  and  complimenting  one  another; 
confiding  their  share  of  hopes  and  plans  for  the  future ; 
there  was  no  official  so  humble  that  he  was  not  fired 
with  ambition."  In  a  word,  the  ante-chamber,  barring 
the  difference  of  persons,  presented  an  exact  imitation 
of  what  was  going  on  in  the  drawing-room.  It  seemed 
like  a  first  performance  which  had  long  been  eagerly 
expected,  arousing  the  same  eager  excitement  among 
the  players  and  the  public.  The  day  which  had 
started  bright  grew  dark ;  for  a  long  time  there  were 
threatenings  of  a  thunder-storm ;  but  none  looked  on 
this  as  an  evil  omen.  All  were  inclined  to  cheery 
views.  The  courtiers  displayed  their  zeal  with  all 
the  ardor,  the  passion,  the  furia  francese^  which  is  a 
national  characteristic,  and  appears  on  the  battle-field 
as  well  as  in  the  ante-chamber.  The  French  fight 
and  flatter  with  equal  enthusiasm. 

Amid  all  these  manifestations  of  devotion  and 
delight,  the  members  of  the  Imperial  family  alone, 
who  should  have  been  the  most  satisfied,  and  cer- 
tainly the  most  astonished  by  their  greatness,  wore 
an  anxious,  almost  a  grieved  look.  They  alone  ap- 
peared discontented  with  their  master.  Their  pride 
knew  no   bounds;    their  irritability  was   extreme. 


6  COURT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

Nothing  seemed  good  enough  for  them  in  the  way  of 
honors  and  privileges;  and  I  hen  we  recall  their 
father's  modest  house  at  Ajacoio,  it  is  hard  to  keep 
from  smiling  at  the  vanity  of  these  new  Princes  of 
the  blood.  Of  Napoleon's  four  brothers,  two  were  ab- 
sent and  on  bad  terms  with  him :  Lucien,  on  account 
of  his  marriage  with  Madame  Jouberton;  Jerome,  on 
account  of  his  m&rriage  with  Miss  Paterson.  His 
mother,  Madame  Letitia  Bonaparte,  an  able  woman, 
who  combined  great  courage  with  uncommon  good 
sense,  had  not  lost  her  head  over  the  wonderful  good 
fortune  of  the  modern  Caesar.  Having  a  presenti- 
ment that  all  this  could  not  last,  she  economized 
from  motives  of  prudence,  not  of  avarice.  While 
the  courtiers  were  celebrating  the  Emperor's  new 
triumphs,  she  lingered  in  Rome  with  her  son  Lucien, 
whom  she  had  followed  in  his  voluntary  exile,  having 
pronounced  in  his  favor  in  his  quarrel  with  Napoleon. 
As  for  Joseph  and  Louis,  who,  with  their  wives,  had 
been  raised  to  the  dignity  of  Grand  Elector  and  Con- 
stable, respectively,  one  might  think  that  they  were 
overburdened  with  wealth  and  honors,  and  would  be 
perfectly  satisfied.  But  not  at  all  I  They  were  indig- 
nant that  they  were  not  personally  mentioned  in  the 
plSUscite^  by  which  their  posterity  was  appointed  to 
succeed  to  the  French  crown.  This  plShiscite  ran  thus : 
"  The  French  people  desire  the  inheritance  of  the  Im- 
perial dignity  in  the  direct,  natural,  or  adoptive  line 
of  descent  from  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  and  in  the 
direct,  natural,  legitimate  line  of  descent  from  Joseph 


THE  BEGINNING    OF  THE  EMPIRE.  7 

Bonaparte  and  from  Louis  Bonaparte,  as  is  determined 
by  the  organic  senatus-consultum  of  the  twenty-eighth 
Flor^al,  year  XII."  For  the  Emperor's  family,  these 
stipulations  were  the  cause  of  incessant  squabbles  and 
recriminations.  Lucien  and  Jerome  regarded  their 
exclusion  as  an  act  of  injustice.  Joseph  and  Louis 
asked  indignantly  why  their  descendants  were  men- 
tioned when  they  themselves  were  excluded.  They 
were  very  jealous  of  Josephine,  and  of  her  son,  Eugene 
de  Beauharnais,  and  much  annoyed  by  the  Emperor's 
reservation  of  the  right  of  adoption,  which  threatened 
them  and  held  out  hopes  for  Eugene.  Louis  Bona- 
parte, indignant  with  the  slanderous  story,  according 
to  which  his  wife,  Hortense,  had  been  Napoleon's  mis- 
tress, treated  her  ill,  and  conceived  a  dislike  for  his 
own  son,  who  was  reported  to  be  that  of  the  Emperor. 
As  for  Elisa  Bacciochi,  Caroline  Murat,  and  Pauline 
Borghese,  they  could  not  endure  the  mortification  of 
being  placed  below  the  Empress,  their  sister-in-law, 
and  the  thought  that  they  had  not  yet  been  given 
the  title  of  Princesses  of  the  blood,  which  had  been 
granted  to  the  wife  of  Joseph  and  the  wife  of  Louis, 
filled  them  with  actual  despair. 

Madame  de  R^musat,  who  was  present  at  the  first 
Imperial  dinner  at  St.  Cloud,  May  18, 1804,  describes 
this  curious  repast.  General  Duroc,  Grand  Marshal 
of  the  Palace,  told  all  the  guests  in  succession  of  the 
titles  of  Prince  and  Princess  to  be  given  to  Joseph 
and  Louis,  and  their  wives,  but  not  to  the  Emperor's 
sisters,  or  to  their  husbands.     This  fatal  news  pros- 


«  COUBT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

trated  Elisa,  Caroline,  and  Pauline.  When  they 
sat  doAvn  at  table,  Napoleon  was  good-humored  and 
merry,  possibly  at  heart  enjoying  the  slight  con- 
straint that  this  novel  formality  enforced  upon  his 
guests.  Madame  Murat,  when  she  heard  the  Emperor 
saying  frequently  Princess  Louis,  could  not  hide  her 
mortification  or  her  tears.  Every  one  was  embar- 
rassed, while  Napoleon  smiled  maliciously. 

The  next  day  the  Emperor  went  to  Paris  to  hold 
a  grand  reception  at  the  Tuileries,  for  he  was  not  a 
man  to  postpone  the  enjoyment  of  the  splendor 
which  his  satisfied  ambition  could  draw  from  his  new 
title.  In  this  palace,  where  had  ruled  the  Com- 
mittee of  Public  Safety,  where  the  Convention  had 
sat,  whence  Robespierre  had  departed  in  triumph  to 
preside  over  the  festival  in  honor  of  the  Supreme 
Being,  nothing  was  heard  but  the  titles  of  Emperor, 
Empress,  My  Lord,  Prince,  Princess,  Imperial  High- 
ness, Most  Serene  Highness  It  was  asserted  that 
Bonaparte  had  cut  up  the  red  caps  to  make  the  rib- 
bons of  the  Legions  of  Honor.  The  most  fanatical 
Revolutionists  had  become  conservative  as  soon  as 
they  had  anything  to  preserve.  The  Empire  was  but 
a  few  hours  old,  and  already  the  new-born  court  was 
alive  with  the  same  rivalries,  jealousies,  and  vanities 
that  fill  the  courts  of  the  oldest  monarchies.  It  was 
like  Versailles,  in  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV.,  in  the 
Gallery  of  Mirrors,  or  in  the  drawing-room  of  the 
CEil  de  Boeuf.  It  would  have  taken  a  Dangeau  to 
record,  hour  by  hour,  the  minute  points  of  etiquette. 


THE  BEGINNING   OF  THE  EMPIRE.  9 

The  Emperor  walked,  spoke,  thought,  acted,  like  a 
monarch  of  an  old  line.  To  nothing  does  a  man  so 
readily  adapt  himself  as  to  power.  One  who  has 
been  invested  with  the  highest  rank  is  sure  to  imagine 
himself  eternal ;  to  think  that  he  has  always  held  it 
and  will  always  keep  it.  Indeed,  how  is  it  possible 
to  escape  intoxication  by  the  fumes  of  perpetual 
incense  ?  How  can  a  man  tell  the  truth  to  himself 
when  there  is  no  one  about  him  courageous  enough 
to  tell  it  to  him  ?  When  the  press  is  muzzled,  and 
public  power  rests  only  on  general  approval,  when 
there  is  no  slave  even  to  remind  the  triumphant  hero, 
as  in  the  ancient  ovations,  that  he  is  only  a  man,  how 
is  it  possible  to  avoid  being  infatuated  by  one's 
greatness  and  not  to  imagine  one's  self  the  absolute 
master  of  one's  destiny  ?  The  new  Caesar  met  with 
no  resistance.  He  was  to  publish  scornfully  in  the 
Moniteur  the  protest  of  Louis  XVIII.  against  his 
accession.  He  was  to  be  adored  both  by  fierce  Revo- 
lutionists and  by  great  lords,  by  regicides  and  by 
Royalists  and  ecclesiastics.  It  seemed  as  if  with  him 
everything  began,  or  rather  started  anew.  "  The  old 
world  was  submerged,"  says  Chateaubriand ;  "  when 
the  flood  of  anarchy  withdrew.  Napoleon  appeared  at 
the  beginning  of  a  new  world,  like  those  giants  de- 
scribed by  profane  and  sacred  history  at  the  begin- 
ning of  society,  appearing  on  earth  after  the  Deluge." 
The  former  general  of  the  Revolution  enjoyed  his 
situation  as  absolute  sovereign.  He  studied  the  laws 
of  etiquette  as  closely  as  he  studied  the  condition  of 


10  COURT  OF  THE  EMPBE8S  JOSEPHINE. 


his  troops.  He  saw  that  the  men  of  the  old  regime 
were  more  conversant  in  the  art  of  flattery,  more 
eager,  than  the  new  men.  As  Madame  de  Stael 
says :  "  Whenever  a  gentleman  of  the  old  court  re- 
called the  ancient  etiquette,  suggested  an  additional 
bow,  a  certain  way  at  knocking  at  the  door  of  an 
ante-chamber,  a  more  ceremonious  method  of  present- 
ing a  despatch,  of  folding  a  letter,  of  concluding  it 
with  this  or  that  formula,  he  was  greeted  as  if  he 
had  helped  on  the  happiness  of  the  human  race." 
Napoleon  attached,  or  pretended  to  attach,  great 
importance  to  the  thousand  nothings  which  make  up 
the  empty  life  of  courts.  He  established  in  the 
palace  the  same  discipline  as  in  the  camps.  Every- 
thing became  a  matter  of  rule.  Courtiers  studied 
formalities  as  officers  studied  the  art  of  war.  Regu- 
lations were  as  closely  observed  in  the  drawing-rooms 
as  in  the  tents.  At  the  end  of  a  few  months  Napo- 
leon was  to  have  the  most  brilliant,  the  most  rigid 
court  of  Europe.  At  timeSsthe  whirl  of  vanities  that 
surrounded  him  filled  with  impatience  the  great  cen- 
tral sun,  without  whom  his  satellites  would  have  been 
nothing.  At  other  times,  however,  his  pride  was 
gratified  by  the  thought  that  it  was  his  will,  his 
fancy,  which  evoked  from  nothing  all  the  grandees 
of  the  earth.  He  was  not  pained  at  seeing  such 
eagerness  in  behalf  of  trifles  that  he  had  invented. 
He  liked  to  fill  his  courtiers  with  raptures  or  with 
despair,  by  a  smile  or  a  frown.  He  thought  his 
sisters'  ambition  childish,  but  it  amused  him;  and  if 


THE  BEGINNING   OF  THE  EMPIRE.  11 

they  had  to  cry  a  little  at  first,  he  finally  granted 
them  what  they  wanted. 

May  19,  after  the  family  dinner,  Madame  Murat 
was  more  and  more  distressed  at  not  being  a  Prin- 
cess, when  she  was  a  Bonaparte  by  birth,  while  Mad- 
ame Joseph  and  Madame  Louis,  one  of  whom  was 
a  Clary,  tjie  other  a  Beanharnais,  bore  that  title,  and 
burst  out  into  complaints  and  reproaches.  "  Why," 
she  asked  of  her  all-powerful  brother,  "  why  condenm 
me  and  my  sisters  to  obscurity,  to  contempt,  while 
covering  strangers  with  honors  and  dignities  ?  "  At 
first  these  words  annoyed  Napoleon.  "  In  fact,"  he 
exclaimed,  "judging  from  your  pretensions,  one  would 
suppose  that  we  inherited  the  crown  from  the  late 
King  our  father."  At  the  end  of  the  interview,  Mad- 
ame Murat,  not  satisfied  with  crying,  fainted  away. 
Napoleon  softened  at  once,  and  a  few  days  later  there 
appeared  a  notification  in  the  Moniteur  that  hence- 
forth the  Emperor's  sisters  should  be  called  Prin- 
cesses and  Imperial  Highnesses. 

The  Empress's  Maid  of  Honor  was  Madame  de  La 
Rochefoucauld;  her  Lady  of  the  Bedchamber  was 
Madame  de  Lavalette.  Her  Ladies  of  the  Palace, 
whose  number  was  soon  raised  to  twelve,  and  later 
still  more  augmented,  were  at  first  only  four :  Mad- 
ame de  Talhouet,  Madame  de  Lugay,  Madame  de 
Lauriston,  and  Madame  de  Rdmusat.  These  ladies, 
too,  aroused  the  hottest  jealousies,  and  soon  they 
gave  rise  to  a  sort  of  parody  of  the  questions  of 
vanity  that  agitated   the   Emperor's  family.     The 


12  COURT  OF  THE  EMPBES3  JOSEPHINE. 

women  who  were  admitted  to  the  Empress's  intimacy 
could  never  console  themselves  for  the  privileges 
accorded  to  the  Ladies  of  the  Palace. 

In  essentials  all  courts  are  alike.  On  a  greater  or 
smaller  scale  they  are  rank  with  the  same  pettinesses, 
the  same  chattering  gossip,  the  same  trivial  squabbles 
as  the  porter's  lodge,  ante-chambers,  and  servants' 
quarters.  If  we  examine  these  things  from  the 
standpoint-  of  a  philosopher,  we  shall  find  but  little 
difference  between  a  steward  and  a  chamberlain, 
between  a  chambermaid  and  a  lady  of  the  palace. 
We  may  go  further  and  say  that  as  soon  as  they 
have  places  and  money  at  their  disposal,  republicans 
have  courtesies,  as  much  as  monarchs,  and  every- 
where and  always  there  are  to  be  found  people  ready 
to  bow  low  if  there  is  anything  on  the  ground  that 
they  can  pick  up.  Revolutions  alter  the  forms  of 
government,  but  not  the  human  heart;  afterwards, 
as  before,  there  exist  the  same  pretensions,  the  same 
prejudices,  the  same  flatteries.  The  incense  may  be 
burned  before  a  tribune,  a  dictator,  or  a  Caesar,  there 
are  always  the  same  flattering  genuflections,  the  same 
cringing. 

The  new  Empire  began  most  brilliantly,  but  there 
was  no  lack  of  morose  criticism.  The  Faubourg 
Saint  Germain  was  for  the  most  part  hostile  and 
scornful.  It  looked  upon  the  high  dignitaries  of  the 
Empire  and  on  the  Emperor  himself  as  upstarts,  and 
all  the  men  of  the  old  regime  who  went  over  to  him 
they  branded  as  renegades.    The  title  of  "Citizen** 


THE  BEGINNING   OF  THE  EMPIBE.  13 

was  suppressed  and  that  of  "Monsieur"  restored, 
after  having  been  abandoned  in  conversation  and 
writing  for  twelve  years.  Miot  de  Mdlito  tells  us  in 
his  Memoirs  that  at  first  public  opinion  was  opposed 
to  this  change ;  even  those  who  at  the  beginning  had 
shown  the  greatest  repugnance  to  being  addressed  as 
Citizen,  disliked  conferring  the  title  of  Monsieur 
upon  Revolutionists  and  the  rabble,  and  they  pre- 
tended to  address  as  Citizen  those  whom  they  saw 
fit  to  include  in  this  class.  Many  turned  the  new 
state  of  affairs  to  ridicule.  The  Parisians,  always 
of  a  malicious  humor,  made  perpetual  puns  and 
epigrams  in  abundance. 

The  Faubourg  Saint  Germain,  in  spite  of  a  few 
adhesions  from  personal  motives,  preserved  an  ironical 
attitude.  General  de  S^gur,  then  a  captain  under 
the  orders  of  the  Grand  Marshal  of  the  Palace, 
observed  that  in  1804,  with  the  exception  of  several 
obscure  nobles,  either  poor  or  ruined,  and  others 
already  attached  to  Napoleon's  civil  and  military 
fortune,  many  negotiations  and  various  temptations 
were  required  to  persuade  well-known  persons  to 
appear  at  the  court  as  it  was  at  first  constituted.  He 
goes  on :  "  As  a  spectator  and  confidant  of  the  means 
employed,  I  witnessed  in  those  early  days  many 
refusals,  and  some  I  had  to  announce  myself.  I  even 
heard  many  bitter  complaints  on  this  subject.  I 
remember  that  in  reply  I  mentioned  to  the  Empress 
my  own  case,  and  told  her  what  it  had  cost  me  to 
enlist  under  the  tricolor,  and  then  to  enter  the  First 


14  COURT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

Consufs  military  household.  The  Empress  under- 
stood me  so  well  that  she  made  to  me  a  similar 
confidence,  confessing  her  own  struggles,  her  almost 
invincible  repugnance,  at  the  end  of  1795,  in  spite  of 
her  feeling  for  Bonaparte,  before  she  could  make  up 
her  mind  to  marry  the  man  whom  at  that  time  she 
herself  used  to  call  General  Vend^miaire." 

Although  Josephine  had  become  Empress,  she 
remained  a  Legitimist,  and  saw  clearly  the  weak 
points  in  the  Empire.  At  the  Tuileries,  in  the 
chamber  of  Marie  Antoinette,  she  felt  out  of  place ; 
she  was  surprised  to  have  for  Lady  of  Honor  a 
duchess  of  an  old  family,  and  her  sole  ambition  was 
to  be  pardoned  by  the  Royalists  for  her  elevation  to 
the  highest  rank.  Napoleon,  too,  was  much  con- 
cerned about  the  Bourbons,  in  whom  he  foresaw  his 
successors.  "  One  of  his  keenest  regrets,"  wrote 
Prince  Metternich,  "was  his  inability  to  invoke 
legitimacy  as  the  foundation  of  his  power.  Few  men 
have  felt  m.ore  deeply  than  he  the  precariousness  and 
fragility  of  power  when  it  lacks  this  foundation,  its 
susceptibility  to  attack." 

After  recalling  the  Emperor's  attempt  to  induce 
Louis  XVIII.  to  abandon  his  claims  to  the  throne, 
Prince  Metternich  goes  on  :  "  In  speaking  to  me  of 
this  matter.  Napoleon  said :  '  His  reply  was  noble, 
full  of  noble  traditions.  In  those  Legitimists  there 
is  something  outside  of  mere  intellectual  force.* "  The 
Emperor,  who,  at  the  beginning  of  his  career,  dis- 
played such  intense  Republican  enthusiasm,  was  by 


THE   BEGINNING   OF  THE  EMPIRE.  15 

nature  essentially  a  lover  of  authority  and  of  the  mon- 
archy. He  would  have  liked  to  be  a  sovereign  of  the 
old  stamp.  His  pleasure  in  surrounding  himself  with 
members  of  the  old  aristocracy  attests  the  aristocratic 
instincts  of  the  so-called  crowned  apostle  of  democ- 
racy. The  few  Republicans  who  remained  faithful 
to  the  principles  were  indignant  with  these  tenden- 
cies ;  it  was  with  grief  that  they  saw  the  reappearance 
of  the  throne ;  and  thus,  from  different  motives  the 
unreconciled  Jacobins  and  the  men  of  Coblentz  who 
had  not  joined  the  court,  showed  the  same  feeling  of 
bitterness  and  of  hostility  to  the  Empire. 

The  trial  of  General  Moreau  made  clear  the  germs 
of  opposition  which  existed  in  a  latent  condition.  It 
is  difficult  to  form  an  idea  of  the  enormous  throng 
that  blocked  all  the  approaches  to  the  Palace  of  Jus- 
tice the  day  the  trial  opened,  and  continued  to  crowd 
them  during  the  twelve  days  that  the  trial  lasted, 
which  was  as  interesting  to  Royalists  as  to  Republi- 
cans. The  most  fashionable  people  of  Paris  made  a 
point  of  being  present.  Sentence  was  pronounced 
June  10.  Georges  Cadoudal  and  nineteen  of  the 
accused,  among  whom  were  M.  Armand  de  Polignac, 
and  M.  de  Riviere,  were  condemned  to  death. 

To  the  Emperor's  great  surprise,  Moreau  was  sen- 
tenced to  only  two  years  of  prison.  This  penalty 
was  remitted,  and  he  was  allowed  to  betake  himself 
to  the  United  States.  To  facilitate  his  establishing 
himself  there,  the  Emperor  bought  his  house  in  the 
rue  d'Anjou  Saint  Honor^,  paying  for  it  eight  hun- 


16         COUBT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

dred  thousand  francs,  much  more  than  it  was  worth, 
and  then  he  gave  it  to  Bernadotte,  who  did  not  scru- 
ple to  accept  it.  The  sum  was  paid  to  Moreau  out 
of  the  secret  fund  of  the  police  before  he  left  for 
Cadiz.  Josephine's  urgent  solicitations  saved  the 
life  of  the  Duke  Armand  de  Polignac,  whose  death- 
sentence  was  commuted  to  four  years'  imprisonment 
before  being  transported.  Madame  Murat  secured  a 
modification  of  the  sentence  of  the  Marquis  de  Riviere ; 
and  these  two  acts  of  leniency,  to  which  great  public- 
ity was  given,  were  of  great  service  in  diminishing 
the  irritation  of  the  Royalists.  After  Moreau's  trial, 
the  opposition,  having  become  discouraged,  and  con- 
scious of  its  weakness,  laid  down  its  arms,  at  least 
for  a  time.     Napoleon  was  everywhere  master. 

The  Republic  was  forgotten.  Its  name  still  ap- 
peared on  the  coins :  "  French  Republic,  Napoleon, 
Emperor  " ;  but  it  survived  as  a  mere  ghost.  Never- 
theless, the  Emperor  was  anxious  to  celebrate  in  1804 
the  Republican  festival  of  July  14 ;  but  the  object  of 
this  festival  was  so  modified  that  it  would  have  been 
hard  to  see  in  it  the  anniversary  of  the  taking  of  the 
Bastille  and  of  the  first  federation.  In  the  celebra- 
tion, not  a  single  word  was  said  about  these  two 
events.  The  official  eulogy  of  the  Revolution  was 
replaced  by  a  formal  distribution  of  crosses  of  the 
Legion  of  Honor. 

This  was  the  first  time  that  the  Emperor  and 
Empress  appeared  in  public  in  full  pomp.  It  was 
also  the  first  time  that  they  availed  themselves  of  the 


THE   BEGINNING  OF  THE  EMPIRE.  17 

privilege  of  driving  through  the  broad  road  of  the 
garden  of  the  Tuileries.  Accompanied  by  a  magnifi- 
cent procession,  they  went  in  great  splendor  to  the 
InvaKdes,  which  the  Revolution  had  turned  into  a 
Temple  of  Mars,  and  the  Empire  had  turned  again  to 
a  Catholic  Church.  At  the  door  they  were  received 
by  the  Governor  and  M.  de  S^gur,  Grand  Master  of 
Ceremonies,  and  at  the  entrance  to  the  church  by  the 
Cardinal  du  Belloy  at  the  head  of  numerous  priests. 
Napoleon  and  Josephine  listened  attentively  to  the 
mass ;  then,  after  a  speech  was  uttered  by  the  Grand 
Chancellor  of  the  Legion  of  Honor,  M.  de  Lac^pdde, 
the  Emperor  recited  the  form  of  the  oath;  at  the 
end  of  which  all  the  members  of  the  Legion  shouted 
"I  swear."  This  sight  aroused  the  enthusiasm  of 
the  crowd,  and  the  applause  was  loud.  Tn  the  mid- 
dle of  the  ceremony,  Napoleon  called  up  to  him  Car- 
dinal Caprara,  who  had  taken  a  very  important  part 
in  the  negotiations  concerning  the  Concordat,  and 
was  soon  to  help  to  persuade  the  Pope  to  come  to 
Paris  for  the  coronation.  The  Emperor  took  from 
his  own  neck  the  ribbon  of  the  Legion  of  Honor,  and 
gave  it  to  the  worthy  and  aged  prelate.  Then  the 
knights  of  the  new  order  passed  in  line  before  the 
Imperial  throne,  while  a  man  of  the  people,  wearing 
a  blouse,  took  his  station  on  the  steps  of  the  throne. 
This  excited  some  surprise,  and  he  was  asked  what  he 
wanted ;  he  took  out  his  appointment  to  the  Legion. 
The  Emperor  at  once  called  him  up,  and  gave  him 
the  cross  with  the  usual  kiss- 


18         COVBT  OF  TBJE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

The  Empress's  beauty  made  a  great  impression, 
as  we  learn  from  Madame  de  R^musat,  who  was 
generally  prejudiced  against  her,  but  on  this  occasion 
was  forced  to  recognize  that  Josephine,  by  her  taste- 
ful and  careful  dressing,  succeeded  in  appearing 
young  and  charming  amid  the  many  young  and 
pretty  women  by  whom  she  was  for  the  first  time 
surrounded.  "  She  stood  there,"  Madame  de  R^mu- 
sat  goes  on,  "in  the  full  light  of  the  setting  sun, 
wearing  a  dress  of  pink  tulle,  adorned  with  silver 
stars,  cut  very  low  after  the  fashion  of  the  time,  and 
crowned  by  a  great  many  diamond  clusters ;  and  this 
fresh  and  brilliant  dress,  her  graceful  bearing,  her 
delightful  smile,  her  gentle  expression  produced  such 
an  effect  that  I  heard  a  number  of  persons  who  had 
been  present  at  the  ceremony  say  that  she  effaced 
all  her  suite."  Three  days  later  the  Emperor  started 
for  the  camp  at  Boulogne. 

In  spite  of  the  enthusiasm  of  the  people  and  the 
army,  one  thing  became  clear  to  every  thoughtful 
observer,  and  that  was  that  the  new  regime,  lacking 
strength  to  resist  misfortunes,  must  have  perpetual 
success  in  order  to  live.  Napoleon  was  condemned, 
by  the  form  of  his  government,  not  merely  to  suc- 
ceed, but  to  dazzle,  to  astonish,  to  subjugate.  His  Em- 
(pire  required  extraordinary  magnificence,  prodigious 
effects,  Babylonian  festivities,  gigantic  adventures, 
colossal  victories.  His  Imperial  escutcheon,  to  escape 
contempt,  needed  rich  coats  of  gilding,  and  demanded 
glory  to  make  up  for  the  lack  of  antiquity.    In  order  to 


THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  EMPIRE.  19 

make  himself  acceptable  to  the  European  monarchs, 
his  new  brothers,  and  to  remove  the  memory  of  the 
venerable  titles  of  the  Bourbons,  this  former  officer 
of  the  armies  of  Louis  XVI.,  the  former  second-lieu- 
tenant of  artillery,  who  had  suddenly  become  a  Caesar, 
a  Charlemagne,  could  make  this  sudden  and  strange 
transformation  comprehensible  only  through  unpre- 
cedented fame  and  splendor.  He  desired  to  have  a 
feudal,  majestic  court,  surrounded  by  all  the  pomp 
and  ceremony  of  the  Middle  Ages.  He  saw  how 
hard  was  the  part  he  had  to  play,  and  he  knew  very 
well  how  much  a  nation  needs  glory  to  make  it  for- 
get liberty.  Hence  a  perpetual  effort  to  make  every- 
day outshine  the  one  before,  and  first  to  equal,  then 
to  surpass,  the  splendors  of  the  oldest  and  most 
famous  dynasties.  This  insatiable  thirst  for  action 
and  for  renown  was  to  be  the  source  of  Napoleon's 
strength  and  also  of  his  weakness.  But  only  a  few 
clear-sighted  men  made  these  reflections  when  the 
Empire  began.  The  masses,  with  their  easy  opti- 
mism, looked  upon  the  new  Emperor  as  an  infallibly 
impeccable  being,  and  thought  that  since  he  had  not 
yet  been  beaten,  he  was  invincible.  Josephine  in- 
dulged in  no  such  illusions ;  she  knew  the  defects  in 
her  husband's  character,  and  dreaded  the  future  for 
him  as  well  as  for  herself.  Singularly  enough  for 
one  so  surrounded  by  flatteries,  in  her  whole  life  her 
head  was  never  for  a  moment  turned  by  pride  oi 
infatuation. 


n. 

THE  JOURNEY  TO  THE  BANKS  OF  THE  RHINE. 

BEFORE  having  himself  crowned  by  the  Pope, 
after  the  example  of  Charlemagne,  Napoleon 
was  anxious  to  go  to  meditate  at  the  tomb  of  the  great 
Carlovingian  Emperor,  of  whom  he  regarded  himself 
as  the  worthy  successor.  A  journey  on  the  banks  of 
the  Rhine,  a  triumphal  tour  in  the  famous  German 
cities  which  the  France  of  the  Revolution  had  been 
so  proud  to  conquer,  seemed  to  the  new  sovereign 
a  fitting  prologue  to  the  pomp  of  the  coronation. 
Napoleon  was  desirous  of  impressing  the  imaginations 
of  people  in  his  new  Empire  and  in  the  old  Empire 
of  Germany.  He  wished  the  trumpets  of  fame  to 
sound  in  his  honor  on  both  banks  of  the  famous 
and  disputed  river. 

The  Empress,  who  had  gone  to  Aix-la-Chapelle  to 
take  the  waters,  arrived  there  a  few  days  before  her 
husband.    Napoleon  wrote  to  her,  August  6, 1804 :  — 

"  My  Dear  :  I  have  been  here  at  Calais  since  mid- 
night; I  am  thinking  of  leaving  this  evening  for 
Dunkirk.  I  am  satisfied  with  what  I  see,  and  I  am 
tolerably  well.  I  hope  that  you  will  get  as  much 
20 


JOUBNET  TO  THE  BANKS  OF  THE  BHINE.     21 

good  from  the  waters  as  I  get  from  going  about  and 
from  seeing  the  camps  and  the  sea.  Eugene  has  left 
for  Blois.  Hortense  is  well.  Louis  is  at  Plombi^res. 
I  am  very  anxious  to  see  you.  You  are  always  es- 
sential to  my  happiness.    A  thousand  kind  messages." 

The  Emperor  wrote  again  from  Ostend,  August 
14,1804:  — 

"  My  Dear  :  I  have  not  heard  from  you  for  several 
days,  though  I  should  have  been  glad  to  hear  that 
the  waters  have  done  you  good  and  how  you  pass 
your  time.  I  have  been  here  a  week.  Day  after 
to-morrow  I  shall  be  at  Boulogne  for  a  tolerably 
brilliant  festival.  Send  me  word  by  the  messenger 
what  you  mean  to  do,  and  when  you  shall  have 
finished  your  baths.  I  am  much  satisfied  with  the 
army  and  the  fleet.  Eugene  is  still  at  Blois.  I  hear 
no  more  about  Hortense  than  if  she  were  at  the 
Congo.  I  am  writing  to  scold  her.  Many  kind 
wishes  for  all." 

Napoleon  reached  Aix-la-Chapelle  September  3. 
The  Emperor  Francis  had,  on  the  10th  of  August, 
assumed  the  Imperial  title  accorded  to  his  house,  of 
Emperor-elect  of  Germany,  Hereditary  Emperor  of 
Austria,  King  of  Bohemia  and  Hungary.  He  had 
then  given  orders  to  M.  de  Cobentzel  to  go  to  Aix- 
la-Chapelle  to  present  his  credentials  to  Napoleon. 
Napoleon  received  the  Austrian  diplomatist  very 
kindly,  and  was  soon  surrounded  by  a  multitude  of 
foreign  ambassadors  who  came  to  pay  their  respects. 
He  re-established  the  annual  honors  long  before  paid 


22  COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

to  the  memory  of  Charlemagne,  went  down  into  the 
vault,  and  gave  the  priests  of  the  Cathedral  con- 
vincing proofs  of  his  munificence.  The  Empress 
was  shown  a  piece  of  the  true  cross  which  the 
Carlovingian  Emperor  had  long  worn  on  his  breast 
as  a  talisman.  She  was  offered  a  holy  relic,  almost 
the  whole  arm  of  that  hero,  but  she  declined  it, 
saying  that  she  did  not  wish  to  deprive  Aix-la- 
Chapelle  of  so  precious  a  memorial,  especially  when 
she  had  the  arm  of  a  man  as  great  as  Charlemagne 
to  support  her. 

From  Aix-la-Chapelle,  Napoleon  and  Josephine 
went  to  Cologne,  then  to  Coblentz,  then  to  Mayence, 
travelling  separately.  The  Emperor  left  Cologne 
September  16  at  four  in  the  afternoon,  and  reached 
Bonn  a  little  before  nightfall,  to  start  again  the  next 
morning.  The  town  pleased  her  very  much,  and  she 
was  sorry  she  could  not  remain  there  longero  She 
stayed  at  a  fine  house  with  a  garden  opening  on  a 
terrace  that  looked  out  over  the  Rhine.  After  supper 
she  walked  on  the  terrace.  The  delight  of  the  people 
assembled  below,  the  peacefulness  of  the  night,  and 
the  beauty  of  the  river  in  the  moonlight,  made  the 
evening  most  enjoyable.  At  four  the  next  morning 
the  Empress  started  off  again  in  her  travelling 
carriage,  and  at  ten  she  entered  Coblentz.  The 
Emperor  did  not  get  there  until  six  in  the  evening, 
having  left  Cologne  the  same  day.  At  Bonn  he  got 
on  horseback  to  examine  for  himself  everything  that 
demanded  close  inspection.     From  Coblentz,  where  a 


JOURNEY  TO   THE  BANKS  OF  THE  RHINE.      23 

ball  was  given  them,  Napoleon  and  Josephine  went 
to  Mayence,  each  by  a  different  route.  The  Emperor 
followed  the  highway  on  the  edge  of  the  Rhine ;  the 
Empress  ascended  the  river  in  a  yacht  which  the 
Prince  of  Nassau  Weilburg  had  placed  at  her  dis- 
posal.    It  was  a  picturesque  voyage. 

The  morning  mist  soon  cleared  away.  Josephine, 
who  had  breakfast  served  on  deck,  admired  the  many 
charming  scenes  between  Boppard  and  Bacharach, 
the  fertile  fields,  the  towns  perched  on  the  steep 
banks ;  in  the  distance,  the  mountains  covered  with 
forests ;  then  the  narrowing  river,  the  bounded  view, 
the  cliffs  crowded  together,  where  nothing  can  be 
seen  but  the  river,  the  sky,  and  the  crags  crowned  by 
the  mirrored  towns  of  mediaeval  castles.  The  light 
boat,  as  it  glided  smoothly  over  the  stream,  with  its 
gilded  Neptune  at  the  bow,  recalled  Cleopatra's  barge. 
At  times  the  silence  was  profound,  then  the  church- 
bells  would  be  heard,  as  well  as  the  cheers  of  the  peas- 
ants on  the  river-banks.  The  pettiest  villages  had 
sent  guards  of  honor,  had  hoisted  flags,  and  raised 
triumphal  arches.  Curiously  enough,  the  right  bank, 
which  did  not  belong  to  France,  seemed  to  display 
quite  as  much  zeal  and  enthusiasm  as  the  left  bank, 
the  French  one ;  on  both  sides  were  the  same  shouts 
of  welcome,  the  same  demonstrations,  the  same  sa-, 
lutes.  When  she  reached  Saint  Goar,  on  the  left 
bank,  the  Empress  saw  the  authorities  of  the  town 
coming  out  to  meet  her,  with  military  music,  in  boats 
decorated  with  branches  of  trees;  and  on  the  other 


24  COUBT  OF  THE  EMPEES8  JOSEPHINE, 

side  of  the  river,  on  the  terrace  of  the  castle  of  Hesse 
Rheinfels,  the  Hessian  garrison  was  presenting  arms, 
and  their  salutes  joined  with  those  of  the  inhabitants 
of  Saint  Goar.  Further  on,  they  shouted  through 
a  speaking-trumpet  to  hear  the  famous  echo  of  the 
Lorelei,  with  its  wonderfully  distinct  and  frequent 
repetitions.  Then  they  passed  the  fantastic  castle  of 
the  Palatinate,  built  in  the  middle  of  the  stream,  and 
in  old  times  the  refuge  of  the  Countesses  Palatine, 
where  their  children  were  born  and  kept  in  security 
during  their  babyhood.  The  Empress  landed  at  Bin- 
gen,  where  she  spent  the  night,  starting  again  the 
next  morning.  Towards  three  in  the  afternoon  she 
reached  Mayence,  where  twelve  young  girls  belong- 
ing to  the  best  families  of  the  city  were  awaiting  her. 
Almost  simultaneously,  the  cannon  at  the  other  gate 
announced  the  Emperor's  arrival. 

On  his  way.  Napoleon  had  noticed  on  an  island  in 
the  Rhine,  at  the  very  extremity  of  the  French  Em- 
pire, the  convent  of  Rolandswerth.  He  was  told  that 
the  nuns  who  lived  there  had  refused  to  leave  it  dur- 
ing the  last  war,  and  that  very  often  the  cannon-balls 
of  the  contending  armies  had  often  fallen  on  the 
island  without  damaging  the  convent  where  those 
holy  women  were  praying.  The  Emperor  became 
interested  in  their  fate,  and  made  over  to  them 
the  forty  or  fifty  acres  of  which  the  little  island 
consisted. 

On  their  arrival  at  Mayence,  September  21,  Napo- 
leon and  Josephine  were  most  warmly  greeted.     In 


JOUBNEY  TO   THE  BANKS  OF  THE  BRINE.      25 

the  evening  all  the  streets  and  public  buildings  were 
illuminated.  The  Prince  Archchancellor  of  the  Ger- 
manic Empire,  who  owed  to  the  French  sovereign  the 
preservation  of  his  wealth  and  of  his  title,  desired  to  pay 
his  respects.  The  Emperor  was  surrounded  by  a  real 
court  of  German  Princes.  The  Princess  of  the  House 
of  Hesse,  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of  Bavaria,  the  Elec- 
tor of  Baden,  who  was  more  than  seventy-five  years 
old,  and  had  come  with  his  son  and  grandson,  ap- 
peared as  if  vassals  of  the  new  Charlemagne,  the 
second  Th^^tre  Frangais  had  been  summoned  from 
Paris,  and  played  before  this  public  of  Highnesses. 
Every  one  was  struck  by  the  celerity  with  which  this 
crowned  soldier  had  acquired  the  appearance  of  a 
sovereign  belonging  to  an  old  line,  while  he  still  pre- 
served the  language  and  appearance  of  a  soldier. 
One  day  he  asked  the  hereditary  Prince  of  Baden : 
"What  did  you  do  yesterday?"  The  young  Prince 
replied  with  some  embarrassment  that  he  had  strolled 
about  the  streets.  "  You  did  very  wrong,"  said  Na- 
poleon. "  What  you  ought  to  have  done  was  to  visit 
the  fortifications  and  inspect  them  carefully.  How 
can  you  tell?  Perhaps  some  day  you  will  have  to 
besiege  Mayence.  Who  would  have  told  me  when  I 
was  a  simple  artillery  officer  walking  about  Toulon 
that  I  should  be  destined  to  take  that  city?"  It  was 
at  Mayence  that  the  treasures  unjustly  extorted  from 
the  German  Princes  were  restored  to  them.  It  was 
at  Mayence  that  Gutenberg's  name  for  the  first  time 
received  formal  homage. 


1^ 


26  COURT  OF  THE  EMPEES8  JOSEPHINE. 

General  de  S%ur,  in  his  Memoirs,  narrates  an 
anecdote  about  Napoleon's  stay  in  this  old  German 
city.  The  Emperor  had  gone  incognito  and  without 
escort  to  an  island  in  the  Rhine,  not  far  from  the 
town.  As  he  was  walking  in  this  almost  deserted 
island,  he  noticed  a  wretched  hut  in  which  a  poor  , 
woman  was  lamenting  that  her  son  had  been  drafted. 
"  Console  yourself,"  said  Napoleon,  without  letting 
her  know  who  he  was,  and  giving  her  an  assumed 
name :  "  Come  to  Mayence  to-morrow  and  ask  for  me ; 
I  have  some  influence  with  the  ministers  and  I  will 
try  to  help  you."  The  poor  woman  appeared  punctu- 
ally. With  delight  and  surprise  she  saw  that  the 
stranger  was  the  Emperor  of  the  French.  Napoleon 
was  delighted  to  tell  her  that  her  house  which  had 
been  destroyed  by  the  war  should  be  rebuilt,  that  he 
would  give  her  a  little  herd  and  several  acres  of  land, 
and  that  her  son  should  be  restored  to  her. 

A  letter  in  the  Moniteur  thus  described  the  depart- 
ure of  Napoleon  and  Josephine  :  "  Mayence,  11  Ven- 
d^miaire  (October  3).  The  Empress  left  yesterday 
for  Paris,  by  way  of  Saverne  and  Nancy.  The  Em- 
peror is  just  leaving ;  he  means  to  visit  Frankenthal, 
Kaiserslanten,  and  Kreutznach ;  then  he  will  take  the 
road  to  Treves.  The  stay  of  Their  Majesties  has 
been  for  us  a  source  of  lasting  pleasure  and  advantage. 
The  most  important  interests  of  our  department 
have  been  favorably  regulated.  We  have  nothing 
now  to  wish  for  except  an  opportunity  to  show  our 
gratitude,  our  devotion,  and  our  fidelity,  and    the 


L 


JOURNEY  TO   THE  BANKS  OF  THE  RHINE.      27 

sincerity  of  the  good  wishes  our  citizens  expressed  by 
their  unanimous  cheers.  The  Electors,  the  Princes, 
and  the  many  distinguished  strangers  who  have  given 
our  city  the  appearance  of  a  great  capital,  are  now 
taking  their  departure." 

This  journey  on  the  banks  of  the  Rhine  made  a 
deep  impression  in  France  and  throughout  Europe. ' 
It  must  be  confessed  that  no  one  has  ever  equalled 
the  Emperor  in  the  art  of  keeping  himself  pictur- 
esquely before  the  public.  Napoleon  in  the  crypt  at 
Aix-la-Chapelle,  face  to  face  with  the  shade  of  Charle- 
magne is  a  subject  to  inspire  a  painter  or  a  poet  I  At 
Brussels,  in  the  church  of  Saint  Gudule,  Napoleon 
evoked  the  memory  of  Charles  V. ;  at  Aix-la-Chapelle 
in  the  Cathedral  vault  he  questioned  the  shade  of 
Charlemagne.  And  as  he  meditated  on  the  tomb  of 
the  Carlovingian  hero,  so  now  do  mcnarchs  on  their 
way  through  Paris  meditate  in  their  turn  over  his 
tomb  beneath  the  gilded  dome  of  the  Invalides. 
They  go  down  into  the  crypt,  look  at  the  porch  up- 
held by  twelve  great  statues  of  white  marble,  each 
one  commemorating  a  victory,  at  the  mosaic  pave- 
ment representing  a  huge  crown  with  fillets,  the 
sarcophagus  of  red  granite  from  Finland,  placed  on  a 
foundation  of  green  granite  from  the  Vosges.  Then 
they  enter  the  subterranean  chamber,  the  black  mar- 
ble sanctuary,  which  contains,  among  numerous  relics, 
the  sword  that  Napoleon  carried  at  Austerlitz,  the 
decorations  he  wore  on  his  uniform,  the  gold  crown 
voted  him  by  the  city  of  Cherbourg,  and  finally  sixty 


28  COURT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE, 

flags  won  in  his  victories.  The  church  of  the  Inva- 
lides  inspires  the  same  thoughts  as  the  Cathedral  of 
Aix-la-Chapelle.  In  the  two  temples  kings  and 
great  men  may  make  the  same  reflection  ahout  glory, 
about  death,  about  the  handful  of  dust  which  is  all 
that  is  left  of  heroes. 


III. 


THE  time  for  the  coronation  was  drawing  near. 
Napoleon,  who  had  already  received  the  official 
recognition  of  foreign  powers,  was  anxious  to  have  his 
Imperial  title  consecrated  by  a  great  religious  cere- 
mony, the  fame  of  which  should  resound  throughout 
the  whole  Catholic  world.  The  first  date  proposed 
for  the  solemnity  was  the  26th  Messidor,  Year  XII. 
(July  14,  1804),  then  that  of  the  18th  Brumaire, 
Year  XIII.  (Nov.  9,  1804).  But  the  choice  in  each 
case  was  unfortunate.  It  was  hard  to  combine  the 
memory  of  the  taking  of  the  Bastille  with  the  coro- 
nation of  a  sovereign,  and  the  18th  Brumaire  would 
have  recalled  the  regrets  of  Republicans  and  the  ser- 
vices of  Lucien  Bonaparte,  who,  after  being  the  main 
-»  aid  of  his  brother's  fortune,  was  living  at  Rome,  in 
disgrace  and  exile.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Pope's 
hesitation,  for  it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that 
he  could  make  up  his  mind  to  go  to  Paris,  had 
further  postponed  the  date,  which  was  at  last  fixed 
for  the  beginning  of  December. 

Josephine  awaited  with  impatience   and  fear  an 

29 


30  COUBT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

event  on  which,  she  felt,  her  future  fate  depended. 
The  Pope,  that  mysterious  and  holy  person,  had 
started.  Was  he  to  prove  her  saviour  ?  Was  she  to 
be  a  repudiated  wife  or  a  crowned  Empress?  The 
clergy  were  untiring  in  their  laudations  of  Napoleon's 
glory.  Bishops,  in  their  charges,  spoke  of  him  as 
God's  elect.  One  prelate,  speaking  of  the  Empire, 
had  said:  "One  God  and  one  monarch!  As  the 
God  of  the  Christians  is  the  only  one  deserving  to  be 
adored  and  obeyed,  you,  Napoleon,  are  the  only  man 
worthy  to  rule  the  French ! "  Another  had  said : 
"Napoleon,  whom  God  called  from  the  deserts  of 
Egypt,  like  another  Moses,  will  bring  peace  between 
the  wise  Empire  of  France  and  the  divine  Empire  of 
Christ.  The  finger  of  God  is  here.  Let  us  pray  the 
Most  High  to  protect  with  his  powerful  hand  the 
man  he  has  chosen.  May  the  new  Augustus  live 
and  rule  forever  I  Submission  is  his  due  because  he 
is  ordered  by  Providence  I"  Yet  in  spite  of  these 
extravagant  outbursts  which  came  from  every  pulpit 
in  the  whole  French  Empire,  this  restorer  of  the 
altars,  this  saviour  of  religion  was  married  only  by 
civil  right  I  From  the  ecclesiastic  point  of  view,  he 
was  living  in  concubinage.  He  had  had  his  brother 
Louis's  marriage  with  Hortense  de  Beauharnais,  and 
his  sister  Caroline's  with  Murat  blessed  by  Cardinal 
Caprara,  but  in  spite  of  Josephine's  entreaties,  he  had 
denied  her  this  pious  satisfaction.  It  was  on  the 
Pope  that  the  Empress  put  all  her  hope ;  she  thought 
that  he  would  take  pity  on  her,  and  by  bringing  her 


I 


THE  POPE '  S  ABRIVAL  A  T  FONTAINEBLEA  IT,      31 

into  conformity  with  the  rules  of  the  church,  would 
put  an  end  to  a  condition  of  things  humiliating  to 
her  as  a  sovereign,  and  painful  to  her  as  a  Catholic. 

At  the  same  time  Josephine  was  anxiously  wonder- 
ing whether  she  was  to  be  crowned.  Her  brothers- 
in-law  became  more  venomous  in  their  intrigues 
against  her,  and  desired  not  only  that  she  be  ex- 
cluded from  any  part  in  the  coronation,  but  also  that 
she  should  be  condemned  to  divorce  on  the  pretext 
of  barrenness.  Joseph  Bonaparte  was  never  tired  of 
sajdng  that  Napoleon  ought  to  marry  some  foreign 
Princess,  or  at  least  some  daughter  of  an  old  French 
family,  and  he  skilfully  laid  stress  on  his  own  unsel- 
fishness in  urging  a  plan  which  would  necessarily 
remove  himself  and  his  descendants  from  the  line  of 
inheritance.  The  Emperor's  sisters  showed  the  same 
hostility  towards  Josephine,  whom  they  hated,  al- 
though she  well  deserved  their  love.  Since  Napo- 
leon maintained  an  absolute  silence  about  his  inten- 
tions concerning  the  coronation,  the  Bonapartes 
already  imagined  that  she  was  going  to  be  divorced, 
and  hence  exhibited  an  untimely  delight  which  dis- 
pleased the  Emperor  and  brought  him  closer  to  his 
wife.  At  last,  tired  with  family  bickerings,  he  sud- 
denly put  an  end  to  them  and  filled  Josephine  with 
Py  ^J  telling  her  that  she  was  to  be  crowned  at 
Notre  Dame. 

The  reader  should  turn  to  the  curious  account  in 
Miot  de  M(}lito's  Memoirs  of  the  council  held  at  Saint 
Cloud,  November  17,  1804,  to  arrange  the  formalities 


32  COURT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

of  the  coronation.  Of  Napoleon's  four  brothers,  two 
were  in  disgrace,  Lucien  and  Jerome,  and  they  were 
not  to  be  present  at  the  ceremony.  As  for  Joseph 
and  Louis,  it  was  decided  that  they  should  appear, 
not  as  Princes  of  the  blood,  but  only  as  high  digni- 
taries of  the  Empire.  Joseph,  it  will  be  remembered, 
was  Grand  Elector,  and  Louis  was  Constable. 

This  decision  once  taken,  Joseph  said  in  the  council 
of  November  17 :  "  Since  it  has  been  recognized  that, 
with  the  exception  of  the  Head  of  the  State,  no  one 
else,  whatever  his  rank,  can  be  regarded  as  partaking 
the  honors  of  sovereignty,  and  that  we  especially  are 
not  treated  as  Princes,  but  only  as  high  dignitaries, 
it  would  not  be  right  that  our  wives,  who  henceforth 
are  only  wives  of  high  dignitaries,  should  as  Prin- 
cesses carry  the  train  of  the  Empress's  robe,  which 
consequently  must  be  carried  by  Ladies  of  Honor 
or  of  the  Palace."  This  remark  displeased  the 
Emperor,  and  many  members  of  the  council  cited 
many  examples  to  refute  it,  notably  that  of  Maria  de' 
Medici.  Joseph,  who  had  foreseen  their  arguments, 
displayed  unexpected  erudition :  "  Maria  de'  Medici," 
he  said,  "  was  accompanied  only  by  Queen  Margaret, 
the  first  wife  of  Henri  IV.,  and  by  Madame  (Cath- 
erine of  Bourbon),  the  King's  sister.  The  train  was 
carried  by  a  very  distant  relative.  Queen  Margaret 
had,  indeed,  offered  a  fine  example  of  generosity  by 
being  present  at  the  coronation  of  the  woman  who 
took  her  place  and  who,  more  fortunate  than  herself, 
bad  borne  heirs   to  Henri  IV.    But  she   was  not 


THE  POPE '  S  ABRIVAL  A  T  FONTAINEBLEA  U.      33 

asked  to  carry  the  train  of  Maria  de'  Medici,  and 
yet  Maria  de'  Medici  had  a  right  to  every  honor, 
because  she  was  a  mother."  This  very  transparent 
allusion  to  Josephine's  barrenness  so  exasperated 
Napoleon  that  he  arose  suddenly  from  his  chair  and 
addressed  his  brother  with  the  intensest  bitterness 
and  violence.  After  the  meeting  Joseph  proposed  to 
his  brother  retiring  to  Germany.  Napoleon  relented 
and,  November  27,  he  said  to  his  brother :  "  I  have 
given  a  great  deal  of  thought  to  the  difference  that  has 
arisen  between  you  and  me,  and  I  will  confess  that 
during  the  six  days  that  this  quarrel  has  lasted,  I 
have  not  had  a  moment's  peace.  I  have  even  lost 
my  sleep  over  it,  and  you  are  the  only  person  who 
has  this  power  over  me ;  I  know  nothing  that  disturbs 
me  to  this  degree.  This  influence  comes  from  my 
old  affection  for  you  and  from  my  recollection  of 
tvhat  you  did  for  me  in  my  boyhood,  and  I  am  much 
more  dependent  than  you  think  on  feelings  of  that 
sort.  .  .  .  Take  your  position  in  an  hereditary  mon- 
archy and  be  the  first  of  my  subjects.  That  is  a  fine 
enough  position,  to  be  the  second  man  in  France, 
perhaps  in  Europe.  .  .  .  Comply  with  my  wishes ; 
follow  my  ideas;  do  not  flatter  the  patriots  when 
I  drive  them  away ;  do  not  oppose  the  nobles  when  I 
summon  them;  form  your  household  according  to 
the  principles  that  have  guided  me.  In  a  word,  be  a 
Prince,  and  do  not  disturb  yourself  about  the  impor- 
tance of  the  title.'' 

Joseph  at  last  yielded,  and  promised  that  his  wife 


84         COUBT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

should  conform  without  a  murmur  to  the  ceremonies 
established  for  the  coronation.  Only  this  concession 
was  made  to  their  susceptibilities :  that  in  the  rules 
the  phrase,  ,hear  the  cloak  was  substituted  for  carry 
the  train,  "  for,"  as  Miot  de  M^lito  says,  "  Vanity  will 
clutch  at  a  straw." 

As  for  Madame  Bonaparte,  Napoleon's  mother,  she 
persisted  in  remaining  at  Rome  with  Lucien.  In 
spite  of  frequent  messages  from  Paris,  she  was  not  to 
get  there  until  some  days  after  the  coronation,  a  fact 
which  did  not  prevent  her  appearing  in  the  great 
picture  commemorating  the  event,  painted  by  David, 
who  was  successively  Jacobin  and  Imperialist,  and 
beginning  with  the  apotheosis  of  Marat,  celebrated 
that  of  Napoleon. 

Pope  Pius  VII.,  then  sixty-two  years  old,  had  left 
Rome  November  2,  after  praying  for  a  long  time  at 
the  altar  of  Saint  Peter's.  The  populace  had  followed 
his  carriage  for  a  long  distance,  weeping  with  terror 
at  his  undertaking  a  journey  to  revolutionary  France. 
At  Florence  he  had  been  received  by  the  Queen  of 
Etruria,  then  a  widow  and  her  son's  Regent.  At 
Lyons  he  became  less  anxious ;  a  number  of  the  in- 
habitants crowded  about  him,  and  fell  on  their  knees, 
asking  for  the  blessing  of  the  Vicar  of  Christ.  Mean- 
while, Napoleon  was  putting  the  last  touches  to  the 
repairs  he  had  commenced  at  the  Palace  of  Fontaine- 
bleau,  to  put  it  in  a  suitable  condition  to  receive  the 
Sovereign  Pontiff.  In  less  than  twenty  days  the  fur- 
nishing of  the  palace  had  been  completed,  and  the  cas-v 
tie  had,  as  if  by  magic,  resumed  its  old-time  splendor. 


THE  POPE'S  ARRIVAL  AT  FONTAINEBLEAU.      35 

Every  one  wondered  how  the  first  meeting  between 
the  Pope  and  the  Emperor  would  take  place.  Many 
points  of  etiquette  arose  which  Napoleon  managed  to 
elude.  Pius  VII.  was  to  arrive  through  the  forest  of 
Fontainebleau,  and  the  Emperor  was  to  go  to  meet 
him  through  the  forest  of  Nemours.  To  prevent  all 
formality,  Napoleon  made  an  excuse  of  a  hunting 
party.  All  the  huntsmen,  with  their  carriages,  met 
in  the  forest.  Napoleon  was  on  horseback,  in  hunt- 
ing dress.  When  he  knew  that  the  Pope  and  his 
suite  were  due  at  the  cross  of  Saint  Hdrene  —  at  noon, 
Sunday,  November  25,  1804  —  he  turned  his  horse  in 
that  direction,  and  as  soon  as  he  reached  the  half- 
moon  at  the  top  of  the  hill,  he  saw  the  Pope's  car- 
riage arriving. 

According  to  the  account  given  in  the  Memoirs  of 
the  Duke  of  Rovigo,  the  carriage  of  Pius  VII.  stopped, 
and  the  pontiff  in  his  white  robes  got  out  by  the  left- 
hand  door.  The  road  was  muddy,  and  he  was  averse 
to  stepping  into  it  with  his  white  silk  slippers  ;  but 
there  was  nothing  to  be  done.  Napoleon  got  off  his 
horse  to  receive  him,  and  sprang  cordially  into  his 
arms.  These  two  famous  men,  who,  although  they 
were  entire  strangers,  had  already  thought  so  often 
of  each  other,  and  were  to  exercise  such  great  influ- 
ence over  each  other's  destiny,  now  met  with  deep  emo- 
tion. As  they  were  embracing,  one  of  the  Emperor's 
carriages,  which  had  been  ordered  to  drive  up,  pushed 
on  a  few  steps  as  if  by  an  oversight  of  the  coachman ; 
the  footmen  held  both  doors  open ;  the  Emperor  took 


36  COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

that  on  the  right ;  a  court  official  pointed  to  that  on 
the  left  for  the  Pope,  so  that  the  two  sovereigns 
entered  the  same  carriage  simultaneously  by  the  two 
doors.  The  Emperor  sat  down  naturally  on  the  right- 
hand  side,  and  this  first  step  established  the  etiquette 
for  the  whole  time  of  the  Pope's  stay,  without  dis- 
cussion. 

At  the  entrance  of  the  Palace  of  Fontainebleau, 
the  Empress,  the  high  dignitaries  of  the  Empire,  the 
generals,  were  formed  in  a  circle  to  receive  and 
salute  Pius  VII.  He  was  welcomed  with  the  utmost 
reverence.  His  fine,  noble  face,  his  air  of  angelic 
kindness,  his  soft,  yet  sonorous  voice,  produced  a 
deep  impression.  Josephine  was  especially  moved  by 
the  presence  of  the  Vicar  of  Christ.  After  resting  a 
few  moments  in  his  private  apartment,  to  which  he 
nad  been  conducted  by  M.  de  Talleyrand,  High  Cham- 
berlain, by  General  Duroc,  Grand  Marshal  of  the 
Palace,  and  by  M.  de  S^gur,  Grand  Master  of  Cere- 
monies, the  Pope  paid  a  visit  to  Napoleon,  who,  after 
an  interview  of  about  half  an  hour,  conducted  him 
back  to  the  hall  that  was  at  that  time  called  that 
of  the  High  Officers.  The  two  sovereigns  dined 
together,  and  the  Pope  went  early  to  bed,  to  rest 
himself  after  the  fatigues  of  his  long  journey.  The 
next  evening  some  singers  had  been  summoned  to 
the  Empress's  apartment,  but  Pius  VII.  withdrew 
just  as  the  concert  was  about  to  begin. 

In  the  course  of  the  day  Josephine  had  had  a  pri- 
vate interview  with  the  Pope,  and  had  confided  to 


THE  POPE'S  ARRIVAL  AT  FONTAINEBLEAU.     37 

him  the  secret  which  so  distressed  her.  She  who 
was  reigning  over  the  greatest  of  Catholic  nations, 
the  consort  of  the  successor  of  the  very  Christian 
Kings,  the  wife  of  a  ruler  about  to  be  crowned  by 
the  Pope,  was  married  only  by  civil  rite  I  She  en- 
treated Pius  VII.  to  use  all  his  influence  with  Napo- 
leon to  put  an  end  to  a  situation  which  was  a  con- 
tinual torture  and  reproach  to  her  as  a  wife  and  as  a 
Christian.  The  Pope  appeared  touched  by  the  confi- 
dence of  his  dear  daughter,  as  he  always  called  the 
Empress,  and  promised  to  demand,  and,  if  necessary, 
to  insist,  upon  the  celebration  of  the  Emperor's  relig- 
ious marriage,  as  a  condition  of  the  coronation,  and 
this  promise  filled  Josephine  with  joy. 

The  presence  of  the  Pope  and  the  Emperor,  the 
throng  of  prelates,  generals,  courtiers,  and  beautiful 
women,  the  combination  of  religious  and  Imperial 
pomp  gave  to  the  Castle  of  the  Valois,  a  few  days 
before  dilapidated  and  abandoned,  new  splendor  and 
magnificence.  Never  in  the  most  brilliant  days  of 
the  reign  of  Francis  I.,  or  Henri  II.,  or  of  Louis 
XIV.,  had  this  sumptuous  residence  appeared  in 
greater  state.  This  wonderful  palace  is  renowned 
for  its  superb  and  picturesque  architecture,  its  majes- 
tic facades,  its  five  courts :  that  of  the  White  Horse, 
of  the  Fountain,  of  the  Dungeon,  of  the  Princes,  of 
Henri  IV.  The  Festival  Hall  is  very  beautiful,  with 
its  rich  and  abundant  ornamentation,  its  walnut 
floor,  divided  into  octagonal  panels  richly  outlined 
with  inlaid  gold  and  silver,  i+^s  monumental  mantel- 


38  COUBT  OF  THE  EMPBES8  JOSEPHINE^ 

piece,  with,  its  figures,  emblems,  and  fantastic  fres- 
coes, the  brilliant  masterpieces  of  Primaticcio,  and  of 
Nicolo  d'Abati. 

Alas !  this  splendid  Fontainebleau,  the  gorgeous 
palace  where  Pope  and  Emperor  were  then  living  in 
triumph,  was  later  to  be  to  both  an  accursed  spot. 
The  Pope  was  to  return  to  it  a  prisoner,  maltreated 
though  old,  though  a  priest,  though  the  Vicar  of 
Christ,  and  there  the  Emperor  was  to  drink  the  cup 
of  humiliation,  of  despair,  to  the  dregs.  It  was  there 
that,  conquered,  broken,  betrayed  by  fortune,  he  was 
to  sign  his  abdication.  It  was  there  that  he  was  to 
utter  those  heart-rending  words :  "  It  is  right ;  I 
receive  what  I  have  deserved.  I  wanted  no  statues, 
for  I  knew  that  there  was  no  safety  in  receiving 
them  at  any  other  hands  than  those  of  posterity. 
A  man  to  keep  them  while  he  lives,  needs  constant 
good  fortune.  I  think  of  France,  which  it  is  terrible 
to  leave  in  this  state,  without  frontiers  when  it  had 
such  wide  ones  !  —  that  is  the  bitterest  of  the  humilia- 
tions that  overwhelm  me.  To  leave  France  so  small 
when  I  wished  to  make  it  so  great ! "  It  was  there 
that,  overcome  by  immeasurable  grief,  the  conqueror 
of  so  many  battles  wished  to  seek  in  suicide  a  refuge 
from  the  tortures  of  thought,  and  that'  he  was  to 
fail  to  find  death,  he  who  on  the  battle-field  had 
squandered  so  many  lives.  O  mortals,  ignorant  of 
your  own  fates,  how  happy  you  are  not  to  have 
foreknowledge  of  them  I 


IV. 

THE  PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  CORONATION. 

THE  Empress  left  Fontainebleau,  Thursday, 
November  29,  1804,  in  company  with  Madame 
de  La  Rochefoucauld,  Maid  of  Honor,  and  Madame 
d'Arberg,  Lady  of  the  Palace,  and  reached  Paris  the 
same  day,  a  few  hours  before  the  Emperor  and  the 
Pope,  who  left  Fontainebleau  in  the  same  carriage 
and  entered  the  Tuileries  at  eight  in  the  evening. 
A  platoon  of  Mamelukes  escorted  the  Imperial  car- 
riage, and  it  was  a  singular  sight  to  see  the  Mussul- 
man escorting  the  Vicar  of  Christ.  The  Pope  was 
installed  at  the  Tuileries  in  the  Pavilion  of  Flora. 
There  were  attached  to  his  person  M.  de  Viry,  the 
Emperor's  Chamberlain;  M.  de  Lu^ay,  Prefect  of 
the  Palace,  and  Colonel  Durosnel,  Equerry. 

All  Paris  was  excited  by  the  approach  of  the  great 
event.  The  hotels  were  crowded ;  the  population  of 
the  capital  was  nearly  doubled,  so  vast  was  the 
throng  of  provincials  and  foreigners.  Tradesmen 
were  working  night  and  day  to  prepare  the  dresses 
and  uniforms.  In  every  workshop  there  was  un- 
paralleled activity.     Leroy,  who  previously  had  been 


40  COUBT  OF  THE  EMPBES8  JOSEPHINE. 

only  a  milliner,  had  decided  for  this  occasion  to 
undertake  dressmaking,  and  had  made  Madame  Raim- 
bault,  a  celebrated  dressmaker  of  the  time,  his  partner. 
From  their  shop  came  the  magnificent  robes  to  be 
worn  by  the  Empress  on  Coronation  Day.  Her 
jewels,  consisting  of  a  crown,  a  diadem,  and  a  girdle, 
were  the  work  of  the  jeweller  Margueritte.  The 
crown  was  formed  of  eight  branches  meeting  under 
a  gold  globe  surmounted  by  a  cross.  The  branches 
were  set  with  diamonds,  four  in  the  shape  of  a  palm 
leaf,  four  in  the  shape  of  a  myrtle  leaf.  Around  the 
curve  was  a  ribbon  inlaid  with  eight  enormous  emer- 
alds. The  frontlet  was  bright  with  amethysts.  The 
diadem  was  formed  of  four  rows  of  pearls  inter- 
laced with  diamond  leaves,  with  many  large  brilliants, 
one  alone  weighing  one  hundred  and  forty-nine  grains. 
The  girdle  was  a  gold  band,  enriched  with  thirty-nine 
pink  gems.  The  Emperor's  sceptre  had  been  made 
by  Odiot ;  it  was  of  solid  silver,  enlaced  by  a  gold 
serpent,  and  surmounted  by  a  globe  on  which  was  a 
miniature  figure  of  Charlemagne  seated.  The  hand 
of  justice,  the  crown,  and  the  sword  came  from  the 
workshops  of  Biennais.  The  dress  of  the  courtiers 
was  to  be  very  magnificent ;  it  consisted  of  a  French 
coat  of  different  colors  according  to  the  duties  of  the 
wearer  under  the  Grand  Marshal,  the  High  Chamber- 
lain, and  the  Grand  Equerry,  with  silver  embroidery 
for  all;  a  cloak  worn  over  one  shoulder,  of  velvet, 
lined  with  satin;  a  scarf,  a  lace  band,  and  the  hat 
caught  up  in  front,  and  adorned  with  a  feather.    The 


PEEPARATIONS  FOR   THE  CORONATION.        41 

women  were  to  appear  in  ball  dress,  with  a  train, 
with  a  collar  of  blond-lace,  called  a  cherusque^  which 
was  fastened  on  both  shoulders  and  rose  high  behind 
the  head,  recalling  the  fashions  of  the  time  of 
Catherine  de'  Medici. 

There  were  rehearsals  of  the  coronation  as  if  it 
were  a  spectacular  play.  Every  one,  from  the  princi- 
pal actors  to  the  most  insignificant  assistants,  studied 
his  part  most  conscientiously ;  the  Masters  of  Cere- 
monies were  to  act  as  prompters  to  those  who  might 
forget.  The  Imperial  carriages  and  those  of  the 
Princes  and  Princesses  one  morning  were  all  driven 
empty  to  the  neighborhood  of  Notre  Dame,  that 
coachman,  postilions,  and  grooms  might  know  the 
route  they  were  to  take,  and  when  they  were  to  draw 
up.  The  carriages  were  superb,  the  horses  magnifi- 
cent, the  liveries  sumptuous.  Never  in  the  most 
extravagant  days  of  the  monarchy  had  such  luxury 
been  seen. 

M.  de  Bausset  says  that  a  week  before  the  corona- 
tion the  Emperor  commanded  of  the  artist  Isabey 
seven  drawings  representing  the  seven  principal  cere- 
monies to  take  place  at  Notre  Dame,  which,  however, 
could  not  be  rehearsed  in  the  Cathedral  on  account 
of  the  number  of  workmen  busy  day  and  night  in 
decorating  it.  To  ask  at  once  for  seven  drawings 
each  containing  more  than  a  hundred  persons  in 
action,  was  asking  for  the  impossible.  Isabey  skil- 
fully eluded  the  difficulty.  He  bought  at  the  toy 
shops  all  the  little  dolls  he  could  find,  dressed  them 


42  COUBT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

up  as  Pope,  Emperor,  Empress,  Princes,  high  digni- 
taries, Chamberlains,  Equerries,  Ladies  of  Honor, 
Ladies  of  the  Palace.  These  dolls  thus  arrayed  he 
arranged  on  a  plan  in  relief  of  the  interior  of  Notre 
Dame,  and  carrying  it  to  the  Emperor,  said :  "  Sire, 
I  bring  Your  Majesty  something  better  than  the 
drawings."  Napoleon  thought  the  idea  ingenious, 
and  used  the  dolls  and  the  plan  to  make  every  official 
understand  his  place  and  his  duty. 

The  Moniteur  of  the  9th  Frimaire,  Year  XIIL 
(November  30,  1804),  published  in  advance  all  the 
details  of  the  ceremony,  which  the  Emperor  had  fixed 
with  as  much  care  as  if  it  had  been  the  plan  of  a 
battle.  A  difficulty  arose  on  this  occasion.  The 
Pope  had  wished  Napoleon  to  receive  the  holy  com- 
munion in  public  on  the  day  of  the  coronation,  and 
Napoleon  had  given  the  matter  thought.  The  Grand 
Master  of  Ceremonies,  M.  de  S^gur,  brought  up 
against  the  proposition  the  necessity  of  a  preliminary 
confession  and  the  possibility  that  absolution  might 
be  denied  him.  "  That's  not  the  difficulty,"  said  the 
Emperor,  "the  Holy  Father  knows  how  to  distin- 
guish between  the  sins  of  Caesar  and  those  of  the 
man."  Then  he  added:  "I  know  that  I  ought  to 
give  an  example  of  respect  for  religion  and  its 
ministers;  so  you  see  that  I  treat  the  priests  well, 
go  regularly  to  mass,  and  listen  to  it  with  all  due 
seriousness  and  solemnity.  But  every  one  knows  me, 
and  how  would  it  be  for  me,  and  for  others,  if  I  should 
go  too  far?    Would  not  that  be  setting  an  example 


PREPARATIONS  FOR   THE  CORONATION.        43 

of  hypocrisy,  and  committing  a  sacrilege?"  The 
Pope  did  not  insist  upon  it.  This  dread  of  commit- 
ting sacrilege  Napoleon  referred  to  again  at  Saint 
Helena,  in  1816:  "Everything  was  done,"  he  said 
then,  "to  persuade  me  to  go  in  great  pomp  to 
communion  at  Notre  Dame,  after  the  fashion  of  our 
kings ;  I  absolutely  refused ;  I  did  not  believe  enough, 
I  said,  to  get  any  good  from  it,  and  yet  I  believed  too 
much  to  consent  to  be  guilty  of  sacrilege." 

Another  difficulty  which  gave  the  Pope  much  anx- 
iety, and  was  not  settled  in  the  formalities  of  the  cor- 
onation, was  whether  the  Emperor  should  receive 
the  crown  from  the  hands  of  the  Sovereign  Pontiff. 
Pius  VII.  had  brought  up  the  question  before  leaving 
Rome,  and  Cardinal  Consalvi  had  written  on  this 
matter,  to  which  the  Vatican  attached  great  impor- 
tance, as  follows:  "All  the  French  Emperors,  all 
those  of  Germany,  who  have  been  crowned  by  the 
Popes,  have  accepted  the  crown  from  them.  The 
Holy  Father,  before  undertaking  this  journey,  re- 
quires to  receive  from  Paris  the  assurance  that  there 
will  be  no  innovation  made  in  the  present  case,  in  the 
way  of  a  diminution  of  the  honor  and  dignity  of  the 
Sovereign  Pontiff."  At  Rome  only  vague  and  dila- 
tory answers  had  been  received.  In  Paris  the  Em- 
peror, leaving  the  matter  to  be  decided  on  the  spur 
of  the  moment,  had  only  said :  "  I  will  arrange  that 
myself." 

The  preparations  at  Notre  Dame  had  come  to  an 
end.     They  had   been  very   considerable.      Several 


44  COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

houses  that  hid  the  north  facade  had  heen  destroyed. 
Before  the  great  entrance,  still  scarred  by  the  ravages 
of  the  Revolutionists,  there  had  been  set  up  a  deco- 
ration of  painted  wood,  representing  a  vast  Gothic 
porch  with  three  arches  upholding  the  statues  of  the 
thirty-six  good  cities,  the  mayors  of  which  were  to  be 
present  at  the  coronation.  To  the  right  and  the  left 
stood  images  of  Clovis  and  Charlemagne,  sceptre  in 
hand.  Above,  between  two  golden  eagles,  appeared 
the  Imperial  coat-of-arms.  This  was  intended  for  the 
sole  entrance  of  the  Pope  and  the  Emperor.  It  was 
connected  with  the  Archbishop's  palace  by  large,  cov- 
ered, wooden  galleries,  adorned  within  by  gobelin 
tapestry.  This  palace,  to  which  Pius  VII.  and  Na- 
poleon were  to  go  before  they  entered  the  Cathedral, 
no  longer  exists ;  it  was  destroyed,  February  14, 1831, 
in  an  insurrection.  It  used  to  stand  just  by  the  side 
of  the  church.  It  was  built  in  1161  by  Maurice  de 
Sully,  rebuilt  in  1697  by  the  Cardinal  of  Noailles, 
embellished  in  1750  by  the  Archbishop  de  Beaumont, 
and  was  the  meeting-place  of  the  Constituent  Assem- 
bly from  October  19  to  November  9,  1789.  There 
the  Pope  and  the  Emperor  were  to  alight  on  their 
way  from  the  Tuileries  and  put  on  their  grand  coro- 
nation robes  before  entering  the  Cathedral. 

The  whole  church  of  Notre  Dame  had  been  hung 
with  crimson  stuffs  adorned  with  gold  fringe,  with 
the  arms  of  the  Empire  embroidered  on  the  corners. 
On  each  side  of  the  nave  and  around  the  choir  had 
been  built  three  rows  of  galleries,  decorated  alike 


PREPARATIONS  FOR   THE  CORONATION.        45 

with  silk  and  velvet  stuffs  fringed  with  gold,  and 
flags  had  been  arranged  like  a  trophy  about  each  pil- 
lar. Above  the  trophies  were  winged  and  gilded 
victories,  holding  candelabra  with  a  vast  number  of 
candles.  There  were,  besides,  twenty-four  chande- 
liers hanging  from  the  roof.  The  galleries  kept  out 
the  light,  especially  at  the  season  when  the  days  were 
short ;  consequently  it  had  been  decided  ^  that  the 
Cathedral  should  be  artificially  lit  during  the  cere- 
mony, thus  augmenting  the  pomp  and  beauty  of  the 
spectacle.  The  choir,  shut  off  by  a  railing,  was  re- 
served for  the  clergy.  To  the  right  of  the  high  altar, 
on  a  platform  with  eleven  steps,  had  been  raised  the 
pontifical  throne,  above  which  was  a  golden  dome 
adorned  with  the  arms  of  the  Catholic,  Apostolic,  and 
Roman  Church.  In  front  and  on  each  side  of  the 
pontifical  throne  were  benches  with  backs  for  the  car- 
dinals and  prelates.  For  the  Emperor  and  the  Em- 
press had  been  prepared  what  was  called  the  great 
and  the  little  throne.  The  little  throne  was  formed 
of  two  armchairs,  one  for  Napoleon,  the  other  for  Jo- 
sephine. These  two  chairs  stood  on  a  platform  with 
four  steps,  opposite  the  high  altar.  The  Emperor 
and  Empress  were  to  occupy  them  during  the  first 
part  of  the  ceremony.  The  grand  throne  was  at  the 
other  end  of  the  church,  with  its  back  against  the 
great  door,  which  was  thus  closed.  This  great  throne 
stood  on  a  large  semicircular  platform,  and  was 
reached  by  twenty-four  steps.  It  stood  under  a  can- 
opy in  the  shape  of  a  triumphal  arch,  upheld  by  eight 


4t)  COURT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

columns,  and  it  overlooked  the  whole  church.  The 
Emperor  and  the  Empress  were  not  to  ascend  this 
throne  till  after  the  coronation. 

For  the  coronation  Napoleon  had  given  to  the 
Cathedral  a  number  of  holy  vessels  in  silver-gilt, 
enriched  with  diamonds,  and  very  valuable  lace  albs, 
a  processional  cross,  chandeliers,  and  incense-burners. 
At  the  same  time  he  restored  to  the  Cathedral  a  great 
number  of  relics  with  which  the  piety  of  Saint  Louis 
had  endowed  the  Sainte  Chapelle.  In  1791  they  had 
been  deposited  in  the  treasury  of  Saint  Denis,  by 
order  of  Louis  XVI.,  thence  in  1793  they  had  been 
transferred  to  the  cabinet  of  curiosities  in  the  Na- 
tional Library,  and  had  been  exposed  under  the 
Directory,  in  the  Hall  of  Antiquities.  The  Emperor 
restored  them  to  the  worship  of  the  faithful. 

The  preparations  were  completed,  and  the  cere- 
mony promised  to  be  magnificent.  Madame  Junot, 
afterwards  the  Duchess  of  Abrantes,  breakfasted 
with  the  Empress  at  the  Tuileries,  December  1, 1804, 
the  day  before  the  coronation.  Josephine  was  much 
excited  and  radiantly  happy.  At  breakfast  she  told 
how  amiably  the  Emperor  had  talked  with  her  that 
morning  and  how  he  had  tried  on  her  head  the  crown 
which  she  was  to  put  on  the  next  day  at  Notre 
Dame.  As  she  said  that  she  shed  tears  of  gratitude. 
She  spoke  then  of  her  pain  when  Napoleon  had 
refused  her  request  for  Lucien's  return.  "  I  wanted 
to  plead  this  great  day,"  she  said,  "but  Bonaparte 
spoke  so  harshly  that  I  had  to  keep  silent.    I  wanted 


I 


PRBPARATIOJ^S  FOR  THE  CORONATION.       47 

to  sliow  Lucien  that  I  could  return  good  for  evil ;  if 
you  have  a  chance,  let  him  know  it." 

In  the  evening  the  Senate  came  to  the  Tuileries  to 
announce  to  the  Emperor  the  result  of  the  plebiscite 
which  approved  of  the  Empire  and  the  matter  of 
inheritance ;  3,521,660  citizens  having  voted  for,  and 
2,579  against.  Napoleon  replied  to  the  President  of 
the  Senate  with  the  infatuation  that  springs  from 
success  and  the  consciousness  of  strength  :  "I  ascend 
the  throne  to  which  I  have  been  called  by  the  unan- 
imous voices  of  the  Senate,  the  people,  and  the  arm3% 
with  my  heart  full  of  feeling  of  the  great  destinies  of 
this  people  whom,  from  the  midst  of  camps,  I  first 
saluted  with  the  name  of  great.  Since  my  youth  all 
my  thoughts  have  been  devoted  to  it,  and  I  must  say 
here,  my  pleasures  and  my  pains  now  are  nothing  but 
the  pleasures  and  the  pains  of  my  people.  My 
descendants  will  long  fill  this  throne.  They  will 
never  forget  that  contempt  of  laws  and  the  overthrow 
of  the  social  order  are  only  the  results  of  the  weak- 
ness and  indecision  of  rulers." 

The  hour  of  disaster  was  approaching,  but  it  had 
not  yet  struck  ;  the  morrow  was  to  be  radiant.  Sal- 
vos of  artillery  were  fired  every  hour  from  six  in  the 
evening  till  midnight ;  at  each  salvo,  the  towers, 
spires,  and  public  buildings  were  illuminated  for  a  few 
minutes  by  Bengal  lights.  Imperial  insignia,  among 
others  the  sword  of  Charlemagne,  were  already  in  the 
Church  of  Notre  Dame.  Gen.  de  Segur,  then  a 
captain  under  the  command  of  the  Grand  Marshal  of 


4«         COURT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

the  Palace,  was  charged  to  watch  that  precious  relic 
during  the  night.  He  records  one  thing  about  it 
which  clearly  shows  the  bellicose  spirit  of  the  men  of 
the  time.  One  of  the  officers  guarding  the  Imperial 
sword  conceived  the  mad  idea  of  using  it  against  one 
of  his  comrades,  who  defended  himself  with  his  own 
sabre,  and  consoled  himself  for  his  defeat  and  for  a 
slight  wound  with  the  thought  that  he  was  beaten  by 
so  glorious  a  weapon. 

That  same  night,  the  one  before  the  coronation, 
Josephine's  wishes  were  granted.  Her  union  with 
Napoleon  was  blessed  by  the  church.  An  altar  was 
mysteriously  raised  in  the  Tuileries,  and  there,  in  the 
presence  of  M.  de  Talleyrand  and  the  Marshal 
Berthier,  who  were  the  only  witnesses.  Cardinal  Fesch 
celebrated,  in  the  profoundest  secrecy,  the  religious 
marriage  of  the  Emperor  and  Empress.  The  scruples 
of  Pius  VII.  were  thus  allayed.  Josephine  could  be 
crowned  the  next  day. 


THE  COEONATION. 

IT  was  December  2,  1804.  Since  early  morning 
all  Paris  had  been  alive.  It  was  very  cold ;  the 
sky  was  covered,  but  no  one  thought  of  the  unpleas- 
ant weather.  All  the  streets  through  which  the  pro- 
cession was  to  pass  had  been  carefully  swept  and 
sprinkled  with  sand.  The  inhabitants  had  decorated 
the  fronts  of  their  houses  according  to  their  tastes 
and  means,  with  draperies,  tapestry,  artificial  flowers, 
and  branches  of  evergreens.  Two  lines  of  infantry 
were  drawn  up  for  a  space  of  about  half  a  league. 
Long  before  the  hour  of  the  departure  of  the  Pope 
and  the  Emperor  from  the  Tuileries,  a  vast  throng 
had  gathered  in  the  streets,  was  crowding  every  win- 
dow, and  assembling  on  every  roof.  Marshal  Murat, 
Governor  of  Paris,  offered  at  an  early  hour  a  sump- 
tuous breakfast  to  the  Princes  of  Germany  who  had 
come  to  Paris  for  the  coronation  —  the  Elector  Arch- 
chancellor  of  the  German  Empire,  the  Princes  of 
Nassau,  of  Hesse,  and  of  Baden.  After  the  breakfast 
they  drove  to  Notre  Dame  in  four  superb  carriages, 
drawn  by  six  horses  each,  with  an  escort  under  the 

49 


50  COUBT  OF  THE  EMPBE88  JOSEPHINE. 

command  of  one  of  his  aides-de-camp,  and  he  himself 
mounted  his  horse  to  take  his  place  at  the  head  of 
the  twenty  squadrons  of  cavalry  which  were  to  go  in 
front  of  the  Emperor's  carriage. 

At  the  Tuileries  Napoleon  put  on  what  was  called 
the  undress  attire ;  this  he  was  to  wear  on  his  way 
from  the  palace  to  the  Archbishop's.  He  was  not  to 
put  on  full  dress,  that  is  to  say,  the  Imperial  robes 
and  cloak,  until  he  was  to  enter  the  church.  The 
undress  is  thus  described  by  Constant,  the  Emperor's 
valet:  silk  stockings  embroidered  with  gold;  low 
boots  of  white  velvet,  embroidered  with  gold  on  the 
seams;  with  diamond  buttons  and  buckles  on  his 
garters;  a  coat  of  crimson  velvet  faced  with  white 
velvet;  a  short  cloak  of  crimson  lined  with  white 
satin,  covering  the  left  shoulder  and  fastened  on  the 
right-hand  side  by  a  double  clasp  of  diamonds;  a 
black  velvet  cap,  surmounted  by  two  aigrets,  a  dia- 
mond loop,  and  for  button,  the  most  celebrated  of 
the  crown  jewels,  the  Regent. 

The  Empress's  costume  was  no  less  magnificent. 
She  wore  a  dress,  with  a  train,  of  silver  brocade 
covered  with  gold  bees;  her  shoulders  were  bare, 
but  on  her  arms  were  tight  sleeves  embroidered  with 
gold,  the  upper  part  adorned  with  diamonds,  and 
fastened  to  them  was  a  lace  ruff  worked  with  gold 
which  rose  behind  half  up  her  head.  The  tight- 
fitting  dress  had  no  waist,  after  the  fashion  of  the 
time,  but  she  wore  a  gold  ribbon  as  a  girdle,  set  with 
thirty-nine    pink    gems.       Her  bracelets,    ear-rings, 


THE  COBONATIOS.  51 

and  necklace  were  formed  of  precious  stones  and 
antique  cameos.  Her  diadem  consisted  of  four  rows 
of  pearls  interlaced  with  clusters  of  diamonds.  The 
Empress,  whose  hair  was  curled,  after  the  fashion 
of  the  reign  of  Louis  XIV.,  although  forty-one  years 
old,  looked,  according  to  Madame  de  R^musat,  no 
more  than  twenty-five.  The  Emperor  was  much 
struck  by  Josephine's  beauty  in  this  sumptuous 
attire ;  all  this  luxury  impressed  him.  He  recalled 
the  days  of  his  childhood,  and  turning  to  his  favorite 
brother,  he  said :  "  Joseph,  if  father  could  see  us ! " 

Nine  o'clock  sounded,  the  horn*  set  for  the  departure 
of  the  Pope,  who  was  to  reach  Notre  Dame  before  the 
Emperor.  The  Sovereign  Pontiff,  clad  in  white,  went 
down  the  staircase  of  the  Pavilion  of  Flora  and 
entered  his  carriage,  which  was  drawn  by  eight 
horses ;  above  it  was  a  large  tiara.  At  Rome  it  was 
the  custom  that  when  the  Pope  went  forth  to  officiate 
at  one  of  the  great  churches,  —  for  instance,  to  Saint 
John  Lateran,  —  for  one  of  his  chamberlains  to  start  a 
moment  before  him,  mounted  on  a  mule,  and  carry- 
ing a  great  processional  cross.  Pius  VII.  asked  that 
the  same  thing  might  be  done  at  Paris ;  consequently 
the  pontifical  procession  was  headed  by  a  chamber- 
lain whose  mule  did  not  fail  to  amuse  the  vast  crowd 
that  lined  the  quays ;  yet  when  the  Pope  passed,  all 
knelt  down  and  received  his  blessing  with  due  respect. 
With  cavalry  in  front  and  behind,  the  Pope's  carriage 
and  the  eight  carriages  in  which  were  the  cardinals, 
Italian   prelates    and    officers   who  had   come   from 


62  COURT  OF  THE  JEMPMESS  JOSEPHINE. 

Rome  with  him,  drove  slowly  along  the  quays  to  the 
Archbishop's  Palace.  There  were  awaiting  him  all 
the  French  cardinals,  archbishops,  and  bishops,  and 
Tae  was  received  by  the  Cardinal  du  Belloy,  the  Arch- 
bishop of  Paris,  as  he  entered  to  put  on  his  pontifi- 
cal robes.  The  pontifical  procession  entered  Notre 
Dame  in  the  following  order :  a  priest,  carrying  the 
apostolic  cross;  seven  acolytes,  carrying  the  seven 
golden  candlesticks;  more  than  a  hundred  bishops, 
archbishops  or  cardinals,  in  cope  and  mitre,  march- 
ing two  by  two ;  and  last  of  all  the  Holy  Father,  his 
tiara  on  his  head,  under  a  canopy  between  two  cardi- 
nals who  held  up  the  ends  of  his  golden  cope.  The 
clergy  intoned  the  hymn  Tu  es  Petrus,  which  was 
very  impressive,  and  the  Sovereign  Pontiff,  after 
kneeling  for  a  few  moments  before  the  high  altar, 
took  his  seat  in  the  middle  of  the  choir  on  the  pontifi- 
cal throne,  above  which  was  a  dome  adorned  with 
the  coat-of-arms  of  the  church. 

The  Emperor  and  the  Empress,  who  were  to  leave 
the  Tuileries  at  ten,  did  not  start  till  half  past  ten. 
They  got  into  the  magnificent  coronation  carriage 
which  excited  the  hearty  admiration  of  the  crowd, 
always  fond  of  show.  It  was  drawn  by  eight  superb 
horses,  splendidly  harnessed;  upon  it  was  a  golden 
crown  upheld  by  four  eagles  with  outstretched  wings. 
The  four  sides  of  the  coach  were  of  glass,  set  in 
«lender  carved  uprights,  so  that  there  was  an  unob- 
structed view  of  Napoleon  and  Josephine  on  the 
back  seat,  with  Joseph  and  Louis  Bonaparte  opposite 


THE  CORONATION. 


them.  Salvos  of  artillery  announced  the  Emperor's 
departure  from  the  Tuileries.  Twenty  squadrons  of 
cavaby,  with  Marshal  Murat  at  their  head,  led  the 
procession.  Eighteen  carriages,  with  six  horses  each, 
followed,  convejdng  the  high  dignitaries  and  the 
courtiers.  Bands  played  triumphal  marches,  and  all 
along  the  way  a  vast  crowd  saluted  this  sovereign. 
The  procession  starting  from  the  Tuileries  by  the 
Carrousel  went  along  the  rue  Saint  Honor^  as  far  as 
the  rue  de  Lombards,  crossed  the  Pont  au  Change, 
and  then  along  the  quay  to  the  rue  du  Parvis  Notre 
Dame  and  the  Archbishop's  Palace.  Just  as  the 
Emperor  and  the  Empress  were  entering  the  palace 
courtyard,  the  mist,  which  had  been  thick  all  the 
morning,  cleared  away,  and  the  sun  came  out  glisten- 
ing on  the  gilded  decorations  of  the  Imperial  coach. 
The  Moniteur,  with  its  official  enthusiasm,  spoke  of 
"  the  orb  of  day  escaping,  against  every  expectation, 
from  the  rigid  rule  of  a  stormy  season  to  light  up  the 
festal  day." 

At  the  Archbishop's  Palace,  Napoleon  changed  his 
dress,  putting  on  his  coronation  robes.  This  differed 
entirely  from  the  costume  he  had  worn  from  the 
Tuileries  to  the  palace,  and  consisted  of  a  tight-fit- 
ting gown  of  white  satin,  embroidered  with  gold  on 
every  seam,  and  of  an  Imperial  mantle  of  crimson 
velvet,  aJl  over  which  were  golden  bees;  it  was 
bordered  by  worked  branches  of  olive-tree,  laurels, 
and  oak,  in  circles  enclosing  the  letter  N,  with  a 
crown  above  each  one;  the  lining,  the  border,  and 


54         COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

the  cape  were  of  ermine.  This  cloak,  fastened  on  the 
right  shoulder,  while  leaving  the  arm  free,  reached  to 
just  above  the  knee,  and  weighed  no  less  than  eighty 
pounds,  and  though  it  was  held  by  four  persons. 
Prince  Joseph,  Prince  Louis,  the  Archchancellor 
Cambac^r^s,  the  Archtreasurer  Lebrun,  was  for  the 
Emperor,  who  was  a  short  man,  a  sumptuous,  but 
heavy  load.  He  carried  it,  however,  with  fitting 
majesty.  On  his  head  he  had  put  a  crown  of  golden 
laurel,  the  laurel  of  Caesar;  around  his  neck  he  wore 
the  diamond  necklace  of  the  Legion  of  Honor;  on 
his  left  side  he  carried  a  sword  with  a  large  handle 
—  the  scabbard  was  of  blue  enamel  adorned  with  gold 
eagles  and  bees.  At  the  same  time  Josephine  com- 
pleted her  dressing,  putting  on  a  long  red  velvet 
cloak,  sprinkled  with  gold  bees,  and  lined  with 
ermine ;  its  skirts  were  upheld  by  Princesses  Joseph, 
Louis,  Elisa,  Pauline,  and  Charlotte. 

The  Imperial  procession  proceeded  from  the  Arch- 
bishop's Palace  to  Notre  Dame  through  the  wooden 
gallery,  and  entered  the  church,  not  through  the  mid- 
dle entrance,  which  was  blocked  by  the  great  throne, 
but  through  one  of  the  side-doors.  They  advanced 
in  the  following  order,  with  an  interval  of  ten  paces 
between  each  group:  the  ushers,  four  abreast,  the 
heralds  at  arms,  two  abreast;  the  Chief  Herald  at 
Arms ;  the  pages,  four  abreast ;  the  aides  of  the 
masters  of  ceremonies ;  the  masters  of  ceremonies ; 
the  Grand  Master  of  Ceremonies,  M.  de  S^gur ;  Mar- 
shal  S^rurier,  carrying  on  a  cushion  the  Empress's 


THE  CORONATION.  65 

ring;  Marshal  Moncey,  carrying  the  basket  which 
was  to  receive  her  cloak;  Marshal  Murat,  carrying 
her  crown  on  a  cushion ;  the  Empress,  with  her  First 
Equerry  on  her  right,  and  her  First  Chamberlain  on 
her  left;  she  wore  the  Imperial  cloak,  which  was 
supported  by  the  five  Princesses,  the  cloak  of  each 
one  of  these  being  supported  by  an  ofiicer  of  her 
household ;  Madame  de  La  Rochefoucauld,  Maid  of 
Honor,  and  Madame  de  Lavalette,  the  Empress's 
Lady  of  the  Bedchamber ;  Marshal  Kellermann,  car- 
rying the  crown  of  Charlemagne,  a  diadem  with  six 
branches  adorned  with  valuable  cameos;  Marshal 
Perignon,  carrying  Charlemagne's  sceptre,  at  the  end 
of  which  was  a  ball  representing  the  world,  with  a 
small  figure  of  the  great  Carlovingian  Emperor ;  Mar- 
shal Lef ebvre,  carrying  Charlemagne's  sword ;  Marshal 
Bernadotte,  carrying  Napoleon's  necklace;  Colonel 
General  Eugene  de  Beauharnais,  the  Emperor's  ring ; 
Marshal  Berthier,  the  Imperial  globe  ;  M.  de  Talley- 
rand, the  basket  destined  to  receive  the  Emperor's 
cloak.  Then  came  the  Emperor,  the  crown  of  golden 
laurel  on  his  head,  holding  in  one  hand  his  silver 
sceptre,  topped  by  an  eagle,  and  encircled  by  a  golden 
serpent,  and  in  the  other  his  hand  of  justice.  His 
cloak  was  supported  by  his  two  brothers,  Joseph, 
Grand  Elector,  and  Louis,  Constable,  as  well  as 
by  the  Archchancellor  Cambac^r^s  and  the  Arch- 
treasurer  Lebrun.  Then  followed  the  Grand  Equerry, 
the  Colonel  General  of  the  Guard,  and  the  Grand 
Marshal  of  the    Palace,  the  three  abreast,  the  min- 


56  COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

isters,   four   abreast,   and   the   high    officers   of  the 
army. 

As  Napoleon  entered  the  church,  the  twenty  thou- 
sand spectators  shouted,  "  Long  live  the  Emperor !  " 
A  cardinal  gave  holy  water  to  Josephine ;  the  Car- 
dinal, the  Archbishop  of  Paris,  presented  it  to  Napo- 
leon ;  and  the  two  prelates,  after  complimenting  the 
Emperor  and  the  Empress,  conducted  them  in  a  pro- 
cession, under  a  canopy  held  by  canons,  to  the  smaller 
throne  in  the  middle  of  the  choir.  There  they  were 
to  sit  during  the  first  part  of  the  ceremony,  near  the 
high  altar,  on  a  platform  with  four  steps.  As  the 
Emperor  and  the  Empress  entered  the  choir,  the 
Pope  came  down  from  the  pontifical  chair,  and  in- 
toned the  Veni  Creator.  The  Emperor  handed  to  the 
Archchancellor  his  hand  of  justice ;  to  the  Archtreas- 
urer,  his  sceptre;  to  Prince  Joseph,  his  crown;  to 
Prince  Louis,  his  sword ;  to  the  Grand  Chamberlain, 
his  Imperial  cloak;  to  Colonel  General  Eugene  de 
Beauharnais,  his  ring.  The  six  objects  formed  what 
were  called  "  the  Emperor's  ornaments."  They  were 
placed  on  the  altar  by  the  representative  dignitaries, 
and  were  to  be  handed  again  to  the  Emperor  by  the 
Pope  in  the  course  of  the  ceremony.  The  same  was 
true  of  the  "  Empress's  ornaments,"  her  ring,  cloak, 
and  crown,  which  were  placed  on  the  altar ;  the  ring, 
by  Marshal  S^rurier ;  the  cloak,  by  Marshal  Moncey ; 
the  crown,  by  Marshal  Murat.  Charlemagne's  insig- 
nia, his  crown,  sceptre,  and  sword,  remained  during 
the  whole  ceremony  in  the  hands  of  Marshals  Keller- 


I 
I 


THE  CORONATION.  67 

mann,  Perignon,  and  Lef ebvre,  wlio  stood  at  the  right 
of  the  small  throne  in  the  choir. 

As  soon  as  the  ornaments  of  the  Emperor  and 
Empress  had  been  placed  on  the  altar,  the  Pope 
asked  the  Emperor  in  Latin  if  he  promised  to  use 
every  effort  to  have  law,  justice,  and  peace  rule 
in  the  church  and  among  his  people ;  Napoleon 
touched  the  gospels  with  both  hands,  as  it  was  held 
out  to  him  by  the  Grand  Almoner,  and  answered 
Profiteor.  Then  the  Pope,  the  bishops,  archbishops, 
and  cardinals  knelt  before  the  altar  and  began  the 
litany.  When  they  reached  the  three  verses  used  only 
at  coronations,  the  Emperor  and  Empress  also  knelt. 

After  the  litany,  the  Grand  Almoner,  another  car- 
dinal, and  two  bishops  advanced  towards  the  small 
throne,  and  bowed  low  before  Napoleon  and  Jose- 
phine, and  conducted  them  to  the  foot  of  the  altar  to 
receive  sacred  unction.  The  Emperor  and  Empress 
knelt  on  blue  velvet  cushions  placed  on  the  first  step 
of  the  altar.  The  Pope  anointed  Napoleon  on  the 
head  and  his  two  hands,  uttering  the  prayer  of  conse- 
cration; "Mighty  and  Eternal  God,  who  didst  ap- 
point Hazael  to  be  king  over  Syria,  and  Jehu  to  be 
king  over  Israel,  making  known  thy  wishes  through 
the  prophet  Elijah ;  and  who  didst  pour  holy  oil  of 
kings  upon  the  head  of  Saul  and  of  David,  through 
the  prophet  Samuel,  send  down  through  my  hands, 
the  treasures  of  thy  grace  and  of  thy  blessings  upon 
thy  servant  Napoleon,  whom,  in  spite  of  our  unworthi- 
ness,  we  consecrate  to-day  as  Emperor,  in  thy  name." 


68  COUBT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

Then  the  Pope  anointed  the  Empress  in  the  same 
way,  reciting  this  prayer :  "  May  the  Father  of  eter- 
nal glory  be  thy  aid ;  and  may  the  Omnipotent  bless 
thee  ;  may  he  hear  thy  prayers,  and  give  thee  a  long 
life,  ever  confirming  this  blessing  and  maintaining  it 
forever  with  all  thy  people ;  may  he  confound  thy 
enemies;  may  the  sanctification  of  Christ  and  the 
anointing  of  this  oil  ever  aid  thee,  so  that  he  who  on 
earth  has  given  thee  his  blessing  may  give  thee  in 
heaven  the  happiness  of  the  angels,  and  that  thou 
mayst  be  blessed  and  guarded  for  eternal  life  by 
Jesus  Christ,  our  Saviour,  who  lives  and  reigns  for- 
ever and  ever." 

The  Emperor  and  Empress  were  then  conducted  to 
the  small  throne,  that  is  to  say,  to  their  two  chairs ; 
before  each  one  was  a  praying-stand.  Then  high 
mass  began ;  it  was  said  by  the  Pope ;  the  music  had 
been  composed  by  Paesiello,  the  Abb^  Rose,  and  Le- 
sueur.  There  were  three  hundred  performers,  singers, 
and  musicians;  among  the  soloists  were  the  great 
singer  Lais,  and  two  famous  violinists,  Kreutzer  and 
Baillot.  At  the  G-radual  the  mass  was  interrupted 
for  the  blessing  of  the  ornaments  which  the  Emperor 
and  Empress  then  put  on. 

Napoleon,  followed  by  the  Archchancellor,  the 
Archtreasurer,  the  Grand  Chamberlain,  the  Grand 
Equerry,  and  two  chamberlains,  and  Josephine, 
accompanied  by  her  Lady  of  Honor,  her  Lady  of 
the  Bedchamber,  her  First  Chamberlain,  and  her 
First    Equerry,   advanced   towards    the    altar,  and 


THE  COBONATION.  69 

ascended  the  steps  at  the  same  time ;  the  Sovereign 
Pontiff,  with  his  back  to  the  altar,  was  sitting  on  a 
sort  of  folding-chair.  He  blessed  the  Imperial  orna- 
ments, reciting  a  special  prayer  for  each  one.  His 
Holiness  then  handed  them  to  the  Emperor  in  the 
following  order;  first  the  ring,  which  Napoleon 
placed  on  his  finger ;  then  the  sword,  which  he  put 
in  its  scabbard;  the  cloak,  which  his  chamberlains 
fastened  on  his  shoulders,  then  the  hand  of  justice 
and  the  sceptre  which  he  handed  to  the  Archchan- 
cellor  and  the  Archtreasurer. 

The  only  ornament  left  to  be  given  to  the  Emperor 
was  the  crown.  It  will  be  remembered  that  there 
had  been  a  long  negotiation  at  Rome  to  ascertain 
whether  the  Emperor  would  be  crowned  by  the  Pope 
or  would  crown  himself.  The  question  was  left 
uncertain,  and  Napoleon  had  said  that  he  would 
settle  it  himself  at  Notre  Dame  when  the  time  came. 
Still  Pius  VII.  was  convinced  that  he  was  going  to 
place  the  crown  on  the  sovereign's  head.  He  had 
just  handed  him  the  ring,  the  sword,  the  cloak,  the 
hand  of  justice,  and  the  sceptre,  and  was  preparing 
to  do  the  same  thing  with  the  crown.  But  the 
Emperor,  who  had  ascended  the  last  step  of  the  altar, 
and  was  following  every  motion  of  the  Pope,  grasped 
from  his  hands  the  sign  of  sovereign  power  and 
proudly  placed  it  on  his  own  head.  Pius  VII.,  out- 
witted and  surprised,  made  no  attempt  at  resistance. 

After  thus  crowning  himself.  Napoleon  proceeded 
to  crown  the  Empress.     This  was  the  most  solemn 


60  COURT  OF  THE  EMPBES8  JOSEPHINE. 

moment  in  Josephine's  life ;  the  moment  which  dis- 
pelled all  her  incessant  dread  of  divorce,  the  brilliant 
verification  of  her  fondest  hopes,  the  completion  of 
her  triumph.  Napoleon  advanced  with  emotion  to 
this  companion  of  his  happiest  days,  to  the  woman 
who  had  brought  him  happiness;  she  was  kneeling 
before  him,  shedding  tears  of  joy  and  gratitude,  with 
her  hands  clasped  and  trembling.  He  recalled  all 
that  he  owed  her :  his  happiness,  for,  thanks  to  her, 
he  had  been  blessed  with  a  requited  love ;  his  glory, 
for  it  was  she  who,  in  1796,  had  secured  for  him  the 
command  of  the  Army  of  Italy,  the  origin  of  all  his 
triumphs.  He  must  have  been  glad  at  this  moment 
that  he  had  not  followed  his  brother's  malicious 
suggestions  and  had  not  separated  from  his  dear 
Josephine  I  The  affection  of  the  young  General 
Bonaparte  revived  in  the  heart  of  the  sovereign. 
He  thought  Josephine  more  gracious,  more  touching, 
more  lovable  than  ever,  and  it  was  with  an  outburst 
of  happiness  that  he  placed  the  Imperial  diadem  on 
her  charming  and  cherished  head. 

The  Emperor  and  Empress,  once  crowned,  pro- 
ceeded to  the  great  throne,  at  the  entrance  of  the 
church,  by  the  great  door,  being  solemnly  led  there 
by  the  Pope  and  the  Cardinals.  The  Imperial  pro- 
cession then  formed  again  in  the  order  in  which  it 
had  come  to  Notre  Dame,  the  Empress  going  before 
the  Emperor.  At  this  moment  the  Princesses  seemed 
to  hesitate  about  carrying  the  skirt  of  the  Empress's 
cloak ;  Napoleon  noticed  this,  and  said  a  few  severe, 


L 


THE  CORONATION.  61 

firm  words  to  his  sisters,  and  all  was  smoothed. 
The  procession  reached  the  foot  of  the  great  throne  ; 
the  Emperor  ascended  the  twenty-four  steps  and  sat 
down  in  full  majesty,  wearing  his  crown  and  Imperial 
cloak,  holding  the  hand  of  justice  and  the  sceptre . 
At  his  right,  on  a  seat  like  his,  but  one  step  lower, 
the  Empress  placed  herself.  Another  step  lower,  sat 
the  Princesses  on  simple  seats.  At  the  Emperor's 
left,  two  steps  below  him,  were  the  Princes  and  high 
dignitaries.  On  each  side  of  the  platform  the  mar- 
shals, high  officers,  and  ladies  of  the  court  took  their 
places.  The  sight  was  most  impressive.  The  Pope 
in  his  turn  ascended  the  twenty-four  steps,  and  thus 
commanding  the  whole  Cathedral,  extended  his  hands 
over  the  Emperor  and  the  Empress,  and  uttered  these 
Latin  words,  the  formula  used  for  taking  the  throne : 
"  In  hoc  solio  confirmare  vos  Deus,  et  in  regno  ceterno 
secum  regnare  faciat  Christus  !  "  ^-  "  May  God  estab- 
lish you  on  your  throne,  and  may  Christ  cause  you 
to  reign  with  him  in  his  eternal  kingdom  I "  Then 
he  kissed  the  Emperor  on  the  cheek,  and  turning 
towards  the  assembled  multitude,  said :  "  Vivat  Im- 
perator  in  ceternum .' "  —  "  May  the  Emperor  live  for- 
ever !  "  This  was  what  had  been  said  ten  centuries 
before  at  Saint  Peter's  in  Rome  when  the  ruler  of  the 
same  people,  Charlemagne,  had  been  proclaimed  Em- 
peror of  the  West. 

Applause  broke  forth  and  three  hundred  musicians 
intoned  the  Vivat  Imperator^  a  hymn  composed  by 
the  Abbd  Rose.     The  pontifical  procession  and  the 


62  COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

Imperial  procession  returned  to  the  choir;  the  Em- 
peror and  Empress  resumed  their  places  on  the  chairs, 
and  the  Pope  began  the  Te  Deum.  After  this,  which 
was  sung  by  four  choirs  and  two  orchestras,  the  mass, 
which  had  been  interrupted  by  the  ceremony  with  the 
ornaments  and  the  taking  possession  of  the  throne, 
went  on.  At  the  offertory.  Napoleon  and  Josephine, 
followed  by  the  two  Princes  and  the  five  Princesses, 
went  to  lay  their  offerings  before  the  Pope ;  these  con- 
sisted of  a  silver-gilt  vase,  a  lump  of  gold,  a  lump  of 
silver,  and  a  candle  about  which  were  inlaid  thirteen 
pieces  of  money.  At  the  elevation  Prince  Joseph 
removed  the  Emperor's  crown,  and  Madame  de  La 
Rochefoucauld,  Maid  of  Honor,  that  of  the  Em- 
press. Napoleon  and  Josephine  knelt  before  the 
Host,  and  when  they  rose,  put  their  crowns  on  again. 
When  mass  was  over,  the  Emperor  took  the  polit- 
ical oath  prescribed  by  the  constitution,  which  had 
aroused  much  opposition  in  Rome.  The  presidents 
of  the  great  bodies  of  the  state  brought  him  the  for- 
mula, and  with  one  hand  held  over  the  gospels,  the 
Emperor  swore  to  maintain  the  principles  of  the  Rev- 
olution, to  preserve  the  integrity  of  the  territory,  and 
to  rule  with  an  eye  to  the  interest,  happiness,  and  glory 
of  the  French  people.  The  First  Herald-at-Arms  then 
called  forth  in  a  loud  voice:  "The  most  glorious 
and  most  august  Emperor  Napoleon,  Emperor  of  the 
French,  is  crowned  and  enthroned:  Long  live  the 
Emperor ! "  That  was  the  end  of  the  ceremony. 
Salvos  of  artillery  mingled  with  the  applause. 


I 


THE  COBONATION,  63 

> 

The  solemnity  had  been  most  successful,  and  Na- 
poleon could  say  with  truth  to  his  brother  Joseph : 
"  For  me  it  is  a  battle  won ;  by  my  art  and  the  meas- 
ures I  took,  I  have  succeeded  beyond  my  expecta- 
tions." Had  he  not  prophesied  accurately  when  he 
said  to  his  secretary  at  the  signing  of  the  Concordat : 
"  Bourrienne,  you  will  see  what  use  I  shall  make  of 
the  priests  I "  The  golden  chasubles  had  made  a  bril- 
liant spectacle  by  the  side  of  the  uniforms;  the 
crosses  and  the  tiara  by  the  side  of  the  swords  and 
the  sceptre.  Napoleon,  always  a  master  of  theatrical 
effect,  had  known  how  to  lend  antiquity  to  his  new- 
born glory  by  borrowing  from  the  past  all  its  majesty 
and  pomp,  and  by  skilfully  decking  himself  with  what 
was  most  brilliant  in  the  chronicles  of  remote  centu- 
ries. From  Charlemagne  he  took  his  insignia ;  from 
Caesar  his  golden  laurel.  The  head  of  a  nation  that 
had  grown  great  by  the  cross  and  the  sword,  he  de- 
sired to  make  his  coronation  the  festival  of  the  church 
and  of  the  army. 

The  Imperial  and  the  pontifical  processions  re- 
turned to  the  Archbishop's  Palace,  and  half  an  hour 
later  proceeded  to  the  Tuileries,  through  the  New 
Market,  the  Place  du  Chfetelet,  the  rue  Saint  Denis, 
the  boulevards,  the  rue  and  the  Place  de  la  Concorde, 
the  Pont  Tournant,  and  the  grand  roadway  of  the 
castle.  Night  had  fallen;  the  houses  were  illumi- 
nated. Five  hundred  torches  cast  their  light  on  the 
two  processions,  and  by  their  imposing  and  strange 
brilliancy,  the  crowd  gazed  with  interest  on  the  new 
Charlemagne  and  tk©  Vicar  of  Christ. 


64         COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS    JOSEPHINE. 

Napoleon  and  Josephine  re-entered  the  Tuileries  at 
half  past  six;  the  Pope  at  about  seven.  The  Em- 
peror, who  was  somewhat  tired  by  all  this  ceremony, 
gladly  resumed  his  modest  uniform  of  Colonel  of  the 
Chasseurs  of  the  Guard.  He  dined  alone  with  Jo- 
sephine, asking  her  to  keep  on  her  head  the  becoming 
diadem  which  she  wore  so  gracefully.  That  evening 
he  chatted  pleasantly  with  the  ladies-in-waiting,  and 
praised  the  rich  dresses  they  had  worn  in  such  splen- 
dor at  Notre  Dame ;  he  said  to  them,  laughing :  "  It's 
I  who  deserve  the  credit  for  your  charming  appear- 
ance." Then  they  looked  out  of  the  windows  on 
the  illuminated  garden,  the  large  flower-garden  sur- 
rounded with  porches  covered  with  lights,  the  long 
alley  adorned  with  shining  colonnades,  on  the  terraces 
of  orange-trees  all  aglow,  with  a  number  of  glasses  of 
various  colors  on  every  tree,  and  finally  on  the  Place 
de  la  Concorde,  one  blazing  star.  It  was  like  a  sea 
of  flame. 

It  was  the  painter  who  had  been  a  member  of  the 
Convention,  the  montagnard,  the  regicide  who  had  in- 
sulted Louis  XVI.,  who  had  painted  the  apotheosis 
of  Marat,  and  with  a  malicious  hand  had  drawn  the 
features  of  Marie  Antoinette  on  her  way  to  the  scaf- 
fold; it  was  this  artist,  this  fierce  demagogue,  the 
ardent  Revolutionist,  who  was  commissioned  with 
painting  the  official  representation  of  the  coronation. 
He  carried  his  gallantry  so  far  as  to  choose  for  his 
subject,  not  the  moment  when  Napoleon  crowned 
himself,  but  that  of  the  coronation  of  the  Empress ; 


TBE  CORONATION,  66 

and  when  a  critic  accused  him  of  making  Josephine 
too  young,  he  said :  "  Go  and  say  that  to  her  I " 
When  the  picture  was  finished,  the  Emperor  and  the 
court  went  to  see  it  in  the  artist's  studio.  Napoleon 
walked  up  and  down  for  half  an  hour,  bareheaded, 
before  the  canvas,  which  is  about  twenty  feet  high, 
about  thirty  long,  and  contains  one  hundred  portraits. 
(It  is  now  at  Versailles  in  the  Hall  of  the  Guards,  at 
the  top  of  the  marble  staircase.)  The  Emperor  exam- 
ined it  with  the  closest  attention,  while  David  and 
all  who  were  present  maintained  a  respectful  silence. 
This  long  waiting  made  the  artist  very  anxious.  At 
last  Napoleon  turned  towards  him  and  said:  "It's 
good,  David,  very  good.  You  have  divined  all  my 
thought;  you  have  made  me  a  French  knight.  I 
thank  you  for  transmitting  to  ages  to  come  the  proof 
of  affection  I  wanted  to  give  to  her  who  shares  with 
me  the  pains  of  government."  Then  taking  two  steps 
towards  the  artist,  he  raised  his  hat  and  said,  in  a 
loud  voice :  "  David,  I  salute  you." 

Sometimes  at  Notre  Dame  in  Holy  Week,  at  even- 
ing service,  when  the  Cathedral  is  lit  up  as  at  the 
coronation,  I  recall  the  various  ceremonies  of  this 
church :  the  royal  baptisms  and  marriages  there  cele- 
brated; the  banners  hung  from  its  roof;  the  Te  Deums 
and  De  Profundis  so  often  sung  there ;  Bossuet  utter- 
ing the  funeral  oration  of  the  Prince  of  Cond^ ;  the 
shameless  goddess  of  Reason  profaning  the  sanctuary. 
I  close  my  eyes  in  meditation,  and  seem  to  be  present 
at  the  coronation,  to  see  Pius  VII.  on  his  pontifical 


QQ         COUBT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

throne,  and,  before  the  altar.  Napoleon  crowning 
Josephine  with  his  own  hands.  I  hear  the  echo  of 
distant  litanies,  of  the  trumpets,  of  the  organ,  and  of 
the  applause.  Then  I  think  of  the  nothingness  of  all 
human  glory  and  grandeur.  Of  all  the  illustrious 
persons  who  have  knelt  in  this  old  basilica,  what  is 
left  ?  Scarcely  a  few  handf uls  of  dust.  I  open  my 
eyes.  The  days  are  silent;  the  crowd  has  quietly 
withdrawn.  The  lights  are  out,  and  at  the  end  of 
the  church,  in  the  shadow,  like  a  timid  star  in  a 
cloudy  day,  burns  a  solitary  lamp. 


VI. 

THE  DISTRIBUTION  OF  FLAGS. 

THE  coronation  was  the  signal  for  a  succession 
of  festivities.  Napoleon  was  anxious  that  all 
classes  of  society  should  take  part  in  the  rejoicings ; 
that  commerce  should  be  benefited;  that  luxury  should 
do  wonders ;  and  that  Paris  should  take  the  position 
of  the  first  city  in  the  world,  the  capital  of  capitals. 
The  day  after  the  coronation  was  to  be  the  popular 
holiday,  and  the  day  when  the  flags  were  distributed 
was  to  be  the  festival  of  the  army.  Monday,  Decem- 
ber 3,  booths  were  open  on  every  side  for  the  enter- 
tainment of  the  crowd.  Adulation  assumed  every 
guise,  even  the  humblest ;  and  every  form  of  language, 
even  that  of  the  markets,  was  employed  to  flatter  the 
new  sovereign.  There  was  sung,  "  The  joyous  round 
on  the  lottery  of  thirteen  thousand  fowls,  with  an 
accompaniment  of  fountains  of  wine."  It  was  a 
description  of  the  food  distributed  to  the  poor  people 
of  Paris.  This  song  was  sung  in  every  street  and 
place,  as  the  (^a  ira  was  sung  in  '93. 

The   compliment  of  the  marketmen  and  of  their 
ladies  ran  thus:  "I  have  reasoned  it  out  with  my 

W 


68  COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

wife  that  a  house  a  thousand  times  as  large  as  Notre 
Dame  would  not  be  able  to  hold  all  those  who  have 
reason  to  bless  you."  In  the  way  of  incense,  nothing 
was  too  gross  for  the  sovereign.  One  district  said  of 
Napoleon :  — 

"  He  received  for  us  when  God  formed  him, 
The  arm  of  Romulus,  the  mind  of  Numa." 

The  Empress  too  was  praised :  — 

"  Spouse  of  the  hero  whom  the  universe  regards, 
The  Graces  accompany  you  to  the  temple, 
Every  one  sees  in  your  face  the  bounty 
Of  which  you  distribute  the  gifts." 

In  allusion  to  her  love  of  flowers  this  quatrain  was 
composed :  — 

"  Josephiniana !  this  is  the  new  flower 
Whose  beauty  catches  my  eye. 
To  join  the  laurels  of  Caesar 
Nothing  less  is  needed  than  an  immortal  flower.** 

The  Emperor  was  sung,  too,  in  mythological  lan- 
guage, for  his  flatterers  tried  to  exhaust  all  sorts  of 
adulation.  On  Coronation  Day  the  Prefect  of  Police 
had  distributed  a  poem  entitled  The  Crown  of  Napo- 
leon brought  from  Olympus  hy  command  of  Jupiter: — > 

"  Mounting  one  of  the  coursers  of  the  proud  Bellona, 
Mercury  brings  a  crown  from  Olympus ; 
The  king  of  the  gods  sends  it  to  the  hero  of  the  French 
As  the  reward  of  his  success. 

Ye  whom  he  guided  a  hundred  times  in  the  fields  of  glory, 
Phalanx  of  warriors,  children  of  victory, 
Braving  the  impotent  fury  of  the  English, 
Sing  Napoleon,  sing  your  Emperor.'* 


THE  DISTRIBUTION  OF  FLAGS.  69 

December  3  the  public  rejoicings  organized  by  the 
government  extended  from  the  Place  de  la  Concorde 
to  the  Arsenal.  Heralds-at-arms  walked  through  the 
city,  distributing  medals  struck  to  commemorate  the 
coronation.  These  medals  bore  on  one  side  the  head 
of  the  Emperor,  his  brow  wearing  the  crown  of  the 
Caesars ;  on  the  other,  the  image  of  a  magistrate,  and 
of  an  ancient  warrior,  supporting  on  a  buckler  a 
crowned  hero,  wearing  an  Imperial  mantle.  Beneath 
was  the  inscription :  "  The  Senate  and  the  People." 

As  soon  as  the  heralds-at-arms  had  passed  by,  the 
merry-making  began,  continuing  till  late  in  the  night. 
There  was  a  distribution  of  food,  as  well  as  sports  of 
all  kinds,  reminding  one  of  the  times  of  the  Roman 
Emperors:  partem  et  circenses.  On  the  Place  de  la 
Concorde  had  been  built  four  large  wooden  halls  for 
public  balls.  The  cold  was  severe  ;  there  was  a  hard 
frost,  but  this  did  not  check  the  universal  enjoyment. 
On  the  boulevards  there  were  at  every  step  puppet 
shows,  wandering  singers,  rope  dancers,  greased  poles, 
bands  of  music.  From  the  Place  de  la  Concorde  to 
the  end  of  the  boulevard  Saint  Antoine  sparkled  a 
double  row  of  colored  lights  arrayed  like  garlands. 
The  Garde  Meuble  and  the  Palace  of  the  Leg^islative 
Body  were  ablaze  with  lights.  The  arches  of  Saint 
Denis  and  of  Saint  Martin  were  all  covered  with 
lights ;  the  crowd  was  enraptured  with  the  fireworks, 
which  had  never  been  so  fine. 

The  people  of  Paris  had  been  invited  to  illuminate 
the  fronts  of  their  houses,  and  moved  either  by  enthu- 


70  COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

siasm  or  self-interest,  they  had  spent  large  sums  for 
this  purpose.  Among  the  notable  illuminations  was 
that  of  the  engineer  Chevalier,  on  the  Pont  Neuf. 
There  was  a  transparency  in  which,  amid  encircling 
laurels  and  myrtles,  was  to  be  seen  an  optician  turn- 
ing his  glass  up  to  the  sky  towards  a  bright  star, 
around  which  was  this  inscription:  "'In  hoc  signo 
solus  !  "  —  "  In  this  sign  is  safety ! " 

December  3  was  the  first  day  of  the  coronation 
festivities.  The  third  day  was  devoted  to  what  the 
Moniteur  called,  "arms,  valor,  fidelity."  This  was 
the  day  when  Napoleon  formally  presented  to  the 
army  and  to  the  National  Guard  of  the  Empire  the 
eagles,  "  which  they  were  always  to  find  on  the  field 
of  honor."  This  ceremony  took  place  on  the  Champ 
de  Mars.  To  quote  once  more  from  the  Moniteur: 
"This  vast  field,  crowded  with  deputations  repre- 
senting France  and  the  army,  bore  the  aspect  of  a 
brave  family  assembled  under  the  eyes  of  its  chief." 
The  main  front  of  the  Military  School  had  been  dec- 
orated with  a  huge  gallery,  with  several  tents  as  high 
as  the  apartments  on  the  first  floor.  The  middle  one, 
resting  on  four  columns  which  supported  winged 
victories,  covered  the  thrones  of  the  Emperor  and 
the  Empress.  The  Princes,  the  high  dignitaries,  the 
ministers,  the  marshals  of  the  Empire,  the  high  ofii- 
cers  of  the  crown,  the  civil  officers,  the  ladies  of  the 
court,  were  to  take  their  places  at  the  right  of  the 
throne.  The  gallery,  in  the  middle  of  which  was 
the  Imperial  tent,  was  in  front  of  the  Military  School, 


THE  DISTRIBUTION   OF  FLAGS.  71 

and  was  divided  into  sixteen  parts,  eight  on  each 
side,  representing  the  sixteen  cohorts  of  the  Legion 
of  Honor.  A  broad  staircase  led  from  this  gallery  to 
the  Champ  de  Mars ;  the  first  step  was  for  the  presi- 
dents of  cantons,  the  prefects,  sub-prefects,  and  the 
members  of  the  municipal  councils.  On  the  other 
steps,  there  stationed  themselves  colonels  of  regi- 
ments and  presidents  of  the  electoral  colleges  of 
the  departments,  holding  flags  surmounted  with 
eagles.  On  each  side  of  the  staircase  were  colossal 
figures  of  France,  one  at  war,  the  other  at  peace. 
Twenty-five  thousand  soldiers,  in  faultless  trim,  had 
been  under  arms  since  six  in  the  morning. 

Unfortunately,  the  weather  was  terrible;  a  thaw 
had  begun  and  it  was  raining  in  torrents.  The 
Champ  de  Mars  was  a  sea  of  mud.  The  courtiers 
who,  on  the  2d  of  December,  had  so  belauded  the 
sun,  representing  it  as  a  sharer  in  the  festival,  a 
docile  slave  of  the  Emperor,  were  obliged  to  acknowl- 
edge that  it  was  raining.  Madame  de  Rdmusat  made 
a  very  true  remark  about  this ;  she  said  with  truth 
that  one  of  the  commonest,  though  one  of  the  ab- 
surdest,  flatteries  of  every  time,  was  that  of  pretend- 
ing that  a  sovereign's  need  of  fine  weather  was  sure 
to  bring  it.  "  At  the  Tuileries,"  she  said,  "  I  noticed 
the  opinion  that  the  Emperor  needed  only  to  appoint 
a  review  or  a  hunt  for  a  certain  day,  and  that  day 
would  be  pleasant.  Whenever  that  happened,  a 
great  deal  was  said  about  it,  while  silence  was  kept 
about  rainy  or  foggy  weather.     This  is  exactly  what 


72  COUBT  OF  THE  E3fPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

used  to  happen  under  Louis  XIV.  For  the  honor  of 
sovereigns  I  should  prefer  that  they  accepted  this 
childish  flattery  with  indifference  or  disgust,  and 
that  no  one  would  think  of  offering  it.  It  was 
impossible  to  deny  that  it  rained  during  the  distribu- 
tion of  the  eagles  at  the  Champ  de  Mars ;  but  how 
many  people  I  met  the  next  day,  who  assured  me 
that  the  rain  had  not  wet  them !  " 

In  spite  of  the  bad  weather,  an  enormous  crowd 
lined  the  road  through  which  the  Imperial  procession 
was  to  pass.  The  terraces  of  the  Tuileries,  the  Place 
de  la  Concorde,  the  quais  were  thronged.  Number- 
less spectators  covered  the  slopes  of  the  Champ  de 
Mars.  The  ever  obsequious  Moniteur,  in  its  official 
account  of  the  ceremony,  said:  "If  the  spectators 
were  uncomfortable,  there  was  not  one  who  was  not 
consoled  by  the  feeling  that  held  him  there,  and  by 
the  expression  of  his  wishes  which  the  applause  made 
very  clear." 

At  noon  the  Emperor  and  the  Empress,  followed 
by  their  suite,  left  the  Tuileries  in  the  order  ob- 
served at  the  coronation,  passed  down  the  broad 
road,  over  the  Pont  Tournant,  through  the  Place 
de  la  Concorde,  to  the  Champ  de  Mars.  Before 
their  carriage  rode  the  Chasseurs  of  the  Guard  and 
a  squadron  of  Mamelukes ;  behind  it  came  the 
mounted  grenadiers  and  the  chosen  Legion.  On 
reaching  the  Military  School,  Napoleon  and  Jo- 
sephine received  the  compliments  of  the  Diplomatic 
Body ;  then  they  put  on  their  coronation  robes,  and 


I 

I 


THE  DISTRIBUTION  OF  FLAGS.  73 

took  their  place  in  the  galleiy  in  front  of  the  build- 
ing. As  soon  as  the  Emperor  had  seated  himself 
on  the  throne,  cannon  were  fired,  drums  beat,  bands 
played.  The  deputations  from  the  army,  who  were 
assembled  in  the  Champ  de  Mars,  formed  in  close 
columns  and  came  forward.  Then  Napoleon  arose 
and  said  in  a  loud  voice :  "  Soldiers !  These  are 
your  flags;  these  eagles  will  always  be  your  rally- 
ing point;  they  will  be  wherever  your  Emperor 
may  think  necessary  for  the  defence  of  his  throne 
and  of  his  people.  You  will  swear  to  offer  your  life 
in  their  defence,  and  by  your  courage  to  keep  them 
always  on  the  path  to  victory.  You  swear  it?" 
Officers  and  men  replied:  "We  swear  it!  " 

Alas  !  these  flags  were  to  be  always  on  the  path 
of  honor,  but  not  always  on  the  path  of  victory,  for 
victory  is  a  female  goddess  and  a  fickle  one.  Against 
how  many  enemies  these  flags  were  to  be  defended, 
beneath  scorching  suns,  under  avalanches  of  ice  and 
snow!  What  heroism,  what  miracles  of  bravery, 
were  to  be  witnessed  by  these  standards  on  many  a 
battle-field !  What  fatigue,  what  suffering,  what  sac- 
rifices, dangers,  wounds,  how  many  glorious  deaths, 
what  seas  of  blood,  to  come  at  last  to  the  most  lamen- 
table disasters !  Had  the  future  been  seen,  those 
drums  would  have  been  draped  in  black.  But  the 
army  imagined  itself  invincible.  The  thought  of  de- 
feat would  have  called  forth  a  smile  of  pity.  Proud 
of  itself,  of  its  commander,  it  shouted  with  joy  and 
pride  as  it  passed  before  the  throne. 


74         COURT  OF  THE  EMriiESS  JOSEPJBINE. 

A  single  incident  disturbed  this  martial  ceremony. 
Su(l(l(>nly  an  unknown  young  man  approached  the 
Inipoiial  gallery,  and  shouted:  **Down  with  the 
Emperor !  Liberty  or  death  I  "  This  ardent  Republi- 
can was  at  once  arrested.  His  voice  had  been  lost 
in  (ho  nuisic  and  clatter  of  arms. 

The  rain  continued,  and  soon  soaked  through  the 
can\as  and  stuffs  sheltering  tlie  throne.  The  Em- 
press was  obliged  to  leave,  with  her  daughter,  who 
had  iHH'enllv  i»iven  l)lrth  to  a  child.  The  other  Prin- 
cess* s  follow (>(l  this  example,  with  the  exception  of 
Madaiiu^  Mural,  who, although  lightly  clad, remained 
exposed  to  the  showers.  She  said  tliat  she  was 
learning  how  to  endure  the  inevitable  discomforts  of 
the  highest  rank. 

At  five  o'clock  Napoleon  and  Josephine  were  once 
more  at  tlie  Tuileries  where  a  state  dinner  was  given 
in  the  Gallery  of  Diana.  In  the  middle  of  tliis 
gallery  the  table  of  tlie  Emperor  and  tlie  Empress 
was  placed  beneath  a  magnificent  canopy,  on  a  plat- 
form. The  Empress  sat  there  with  the  Emperor  on 
tlie  right  and  the  Pope  on  her  left.  The  high  officers 
of  tlie  crown,  as  well  as  a  colonel-general  of  the 
Guard  and  a  prefect  of  the  palace,  remained  stand- 
ing near  tlie  Imperial  table. 

Pages  waited  on  the  tables.  The  Archchancellor 
of  the  German  Empire  took  his  place  at  that  of  the 
Emperor.  In  the  same  gallery  were  set  otlier  tables 
for  the  French  Princes  and  for  the  hereditary  Prince 
of  Baden,  for  tlie  ministers,  for  the  ladies  and  officens 


THE  BISTBIBUTION  OF  FLAGS.  75 

of  the  Imperial  household.  After  the  dinner  was  a 
concert,  at  which  the  Pope  consented  to  be  present 
When  that  was  over  Pius  VII.  withdrew,  and  the 
evening  ended  with  a  ballet  danced  by  the  dancers 
of  the  opera  in  the  great  hall  called  since  the  Em- 
pire the  Hall  of  the  Marshals. 


vn. 

THE  FESTIVITIES. 

THE  winter  of  1804-5  was  very  brilliant.  Napo- 
leon was  anxious  to  give  tlie  beginning  of  his 
reign  an  air  of  splendor.  He  allowed  Ms  officials 
generous  salaries,  but  he  insisted  on  their  spending 
all  they  received  in  sumptuous  living,  in  entertaining 
freely,  and  receiving  distinguished  foreigners.  Lux- 
ury became  compulsory,  and  trade  flourished  beyond 
all  expectations.  Paris  had  never,  even  in  the  grand- 
est days  of  the  old  monarchy,  known  greater  social 
animation.  This  martial  generation,  accustomed  to 
desire  a  short  but  merry  life,  aware  that  the  festivities 
of  one  day  would  be  interrupted  by  the  battles  of  the 
next,  were  as  eager  in  the  ball-room  as  on  the  battle- 
field. They  hastened  to  enjoy  their  present  pros- 
perity as  if  they  foresaw  the  disasters  to  come. 
French  gallantry,  which  had  been  forgotten  during 
the  Revolution,  resumed  its  sway.  The  women  were 
like  the  fair  mistresses  of  castles  in  the  Middle  Ages 
who  gave  their  hearts  to  the  bravest  knights.  Love 
and  glory  both  became  the  fashion.  The  former  Lady 
of  the  Bedchamber  to  Marie  Antoinette,  Madame 
76 


THE  FESTIVITIES.  77 

Campan,  who  taught  most  of  the  young  women  of 
the  court  in  her  school  at  Saint  Germain,  had  formed 
a  group  of  beauties,  trained  in  aristocratic  manners, 
at  the  head  of  whom  was  her  ablest,  most  intelli- 
gent pupil,  Hortense  de  Beauhamais,  who  had  been 
married  to  Prince  Louis  Bonaparte.  The  Grand 
Chamberlain,  M.  de  Talleyrand,  a  poor  bishop  but  an 
excellent  specimen  of  a  grand  lord,  and  the  Grand 
Master  of  Ceremonies,  M.  de  S^gur,  whose  success  as 
ambassador  of  Louis  XVI.  at  the  court  of  Catherine 
was  very  great,  set  the  tone  in  the  households  of  the 
Emperor  and  the  Empress. 

Napoleon  set  an  example  of  luxury  and  elegance. 
Grand  dinners,  concerts,  official  entertainments  suc- 
ceeded one  another  with  startling  rapidity.  Joseph- 
ine, who  was  wildly  fond  of  dress,  was  glad  of  an 
excuse  to  indulge  her  extravagant  tastes.  The  Em- 
peror's three  sisters  lived  like  real  princesses,  rivalling 
one  another  in  magnificence.  Princes  Joseph  and 
Louis  displayed  the  pomp  of  future  kings. 

Almost  all  the  women  of  the  court  were  young  and 
pretty.  It  would  have  been  hard  to  confer  on  any 
one,  to  the  exclusion  of  the  rest,  the  palm  of  beauty. 
There  were  three  who  were  especially  distinguished : 
Madame  Maret  (later  the  Duchess  of  Bassano)  ;  Mad- 
ame Savary  (later  the  Duchess  of  Rovigo) ;  and 
Madame  de  Canisy  (later  the  Duchess  of  Vicenza). 
The  last  named  had  married  M.  de  Canisy,  the 
Emperor's  equerry.  Later,  she  got  a  divorce  and 
married  M.  de  Caulaincourt,  Duke  of  Vicenza  and 
Grand  Equerry. 


78  COUET  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHIJSfE. 

At  Saint  Helena  Napoleon  thus  recounted  the 
origin  of  this  famous  beauty :  "  Madame  de  Lom^nie, 
the  Cardinal's  niece,  before  being  put  to  death  in  the 
Revolution,  entrusted  to  Father  Patrault  her  two 
young  daughters.  When  the  terror  was  over,  Mad- 
ame de  Brienne,  their  aunt,  who  had  weathered  the 
storm  and  still  possessed  a  large  fortune,  demanded 
them  of  Father  Patrault,  who  refused  to  give  them 
up  for  a  long  time,  on  the  ground  that  their  mother 
had  urged  him  to  bring  them  up  as  peasants."  And 
Napoleon  went  on :  "I  was  then  General  of  the  Army 
of  the  Interior ;  and  was  able  to  secure  the  return  of 
the  two  children,  though  with  some  difficulty,  for 
Patrault  resisted  in  every  way  in  his  power.  They 
were  the  women  whom  you  afterwards  knew  as 
Madame  de  Marn^sia  and  as  the  beautiful  Madame 
de  Canisy." 

The  Duchess  of  Abrant^s,  in  recalling  the  brilliant 
winter  of  1804-5,  says,  in  her  Memoirs :  "  One  espe- 
cially impressive  beauty,  particularly  in  the  ball-room, 
was  Madame  de  Canisy.  I  have  often  compared  her 
to  a  muse.  It  would  be  impossible  for  a  single  face 
to  present  a  fuller  combination  of  charms  than  hers  : 
she  possessed  regular  features,  a  delightful  expres- 
sion, an  attractive  smile;  her  hair  was  silky  and 
glossy.  Seldom  have  I  seen  anything  more  charming 
than  Madames  de  Canisy,  Maret,  and  Savary  in  enter- 
ing a  ball-room  together." 

There  was  no  lack  of  entertainments  at  which 
these  beauties  shone.    The  one  given  at  the  Hotel  de 


THE  FESTIVITIES,  79 

Ville,  December  16,  1804,  to  the  Emperor  and  the 
Empress,  was  so  costly  that  it  kept  the  city  of  Paris 
for  many  years  in  debt.  Napoleon,  Josephine,  Princes 
Joseph  and  Louis  drove  to  it  in  the  coronation  coach. 
Batteries  of  artillery,  stationed  on  the  Pont  Neuf, 
announced  the  moment  of  their  arrival,  while  tables 
covered  with  poultry,  and  fountains  of  wine,  attracted 
an  enormous  crowd  to  the  place ;  almost  every  one 
had  a  share  in  this  distribution  of  food,  thanks  to  the 
precautions  taken  by  the  authorities  of  delivering  it 
only  to  those  who  presented  a  ticket.  The  front  of 
the  Hotel  de  Ville  was  illuminated  with  colored  lan- 
terns. When  the  Empress  entered  the  apartments 
reserved  for  her,  she  found  there  a  complete  and  mag- 
nificent gold  toilet-service:  it  was  a  present  from 
the  City  Council.  The  President  of  the  Council  thus 
addressed  her :  "  Madame :  How  could  the  Parisians, 
who  are  so  capable  of  distinguishing  what  is  good, 
delicate,  and  noble,  let  slip  this  opportunity  of  pajring 
their  homage  to  the  profound  tenderness,  the  touch- 
ing grace,  the  true  dignity  that  characterize  Your 
Majesty  ?  The  happy  influence  of  these  rare  qualities 
already  makes  itself  felt  in  all  classes  of  society,  and 
while  your  august  spouse  elevates  France  in  glory, 
you  inspire  it  to  resume  the  first  rank  among  the 
races  most  renowned  for  urbanity."  The  hall  in 
which  the  Imperial  banquet  was  to  be  given  was 
called  the  Hall  of  Victories.  On  the  door  was  the 
inscription  FaBti  Napoleonic  and  at  intervals,  separated 
by  military  trophies  and  standards,  were  Latin  inscrip- 


80         COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

tions  in  honor  of  Napoleon.  Before  dinner  he  was 
presented  with  a  table-service  of  silver-gilt  by  the 
city  of  Paris.  Then  he  took  his  seat,  with  the  Em- 
press, on  a  platform  beneath  a  canopy,  and  the  meal 
began.  During  dinner,  a  band,  hidden  behind  green 
foliage,  played  a  symphony  of  Haydn's,  and  then 
was  sung  a  cantata  full  of  flattery  for  the  Emperor 
and  the  Empress. 

After  the  dinner  there  were  magnificent  fireworks. 
As  the  first  rockets  rose,  a  second  cantata  was  sung. 
One  of  the  pieces  of  fireworks  represented  a  man-of- 
war  with  eighty  guns;  its  decks,  masts,  sails,  and 
rigging  were  represented  by  glowing  lights.  Another, 
which  the  Emperor  himself  set  off,  represented  Mount 
Saint  Bernard  sending  forth  a  volcanic  eruption  from 
snow-covered  rocks.  In  the  centre  appeared  the  image 
of  Napoleon  at  the  head  of  his  army,  riding  up  the 
steep  slope  of  the  mountain. 

This  entertainment,  which  closed  with  a  ball  at 
which  seven  hundred  persons  were  present,  was  a 
real  apotheosis.  Madame  de  R^musat,  speaking  of 
the  extravagant  adulation  devised  for  this  occasion, 
says :  "  A  great  deal  has  been  said  about  the  fulsome 
flatteries  of  Louis  XIV.  during  his  reign ;  I  am  sure 
that  altogether  they  would  not  amount  to  a  tenth 
part  of  those  that  Bonaparte  received.  I  remember 
that  at  another  festivity  given  by  the  city  to  the 
Emperor  a  few  years  later,  since  all  inscription  had 
been  exhausted,  there  were  placed  above  the  throne 
on  which  he  was  to  sit,  these  words  from  Scripture, 


THE  FESTIVITIES.  81 

in  gold  letters;  Ugo  sum  qui  sum^ — and  no  one  was 
shocked." 

The  Senate  and  the  Legislative  Body  also  gave 
grand  entertainments  in  honor  of  the  coronation. 
That  of  the  Legislative  Body  was  particularly  bril- 
liant. This  assembly,  which  rivalled  the  Senate  in 
obsequiousness,  had  decided  that  a  marble  statue 
should  be  raised  to  the  Emperor  in  the  room  where 
it  sat,  in  honor  of  the  drawing  up  of  the  civil  code. 
The  day  when  this  statue  was  to  be  inaugurated  was 
chosen  for  the  festivity.  The  Empress,  followed  by  a 
magnificent  suite,  reached  the  Palace  of  the  Legisla- 
tive Body  at  about  seven  in  the  evening.  As  she 
entered,  musicians  intoned  Gliick's  famous  chorus, 
which  used  to  be  sung  on  formal  occasions  in  the 
reign  of  Louis  XVI.,  in  honor  of  Marie  Antoinette :  — 

"  What  charms  I    What  majesty  1 " 

Unanimous  applause  emphasized  the  allusions. 
Then  on  the  President's  invitation,  Marshals  Murat 
and  Mass^na  raised  the  veils  that  covered  the  statue, 
and  all  eyes  beheld  the  figure  of  Napoleon,  wearing 
on  his  brow  a  laurel  wreath,  in  which  were  mingled 
oak  and  olive  leaves.  Later,  at  the  time  of  his 
abdication  at  Fontainebleau,  Napoleon  expressed  a 
regret  that  he  had  permitted  his  statue  to  be  made 
during  his  lifetime. 

Then  M.  de  Vaublanc  ascended  the  tribune,  and 
made  a  speech  full  of  extravagant  praise;  it  ended 
thus :    "  You  live,  ail  of  you,  threatened  by  the  perils 


82         COUBT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

of  the  times ;  you  live,  and  you  owe  your  life  to  him 
whose  statue  you  behold.  You  return  unfortunate 
exiles;  you  breathe  once  more  the  delicious  air  of 
your  own  country;  you  embrace  your  fathers,  your 
children,  your  wives,  your  friends ;  all  this  you  owe 
to  him  whose  statue  you  behold.  There  is  no  longer 
any  question  of  his  glory ;  I  say  nothing  about  it ;  I 
invoke  humanity  on  one  side,  gratitude  on  the  other ; 
I  ask  you  to  whom  you  are  indebted  for  this  great, 
extraordinary,  unexpected  good  fortune.  You  all 
answer  with  me,  It  is  to  the  great  man  whose  statue 
you  behold."  Throughout  the  whole  speech,  a  perfect 
masterpiece  of  official  composition,  adulation  came  in 
like  a  chorus.  The  President  in  his  turn  uttered  a 
similar  ei^logy :  "  Very  few  at  the  time,"  says  Con- 
stant, who  describes  this  occasion,  "  found  this  praise 
extravagant;  possibly  their  opinions  have  changed 
since  then." 

After  the  speeches,  dinner  was  served  to  three  hun- 
dred guests,  followed  by  a  magnificent  ball.  Though 
in  the  middle  of  the  winter,  there  was  a  great  show 
of  shrubs  and  flowers.  The  Halls  of  Lucre tia  and  of 
the  Reunion,  in  which  there  was  dancing,  were  like 
one  large  bed  of  roses,  laurels,  lilacs,  jonquils,  lilies, 
and  jasmine. 

•  Perhaps  the  finest  of  all  the  entertainments  was 
that  given  to  the  Emperor  and  Empress  by  the  mar- 
shals of  the  Empire  in  the  Opera  House.  It  cost  each 
marshal  ten  thousand  francs.  The  Opera  House  at 
that  time  was  in  the  rue  de  Richelieu,  where  it  had 


THE  FESTIVITIES.  83 

been  since  1794.  (It  was  the  one  torn  down  during 
the  Restoration,  on  account  of  the  murder  of  the 
Duke  of  Berry,  who  was  killed  on  the  threshold.) 
By  means  of  a  floor  placed  level  with  the  stage  over 
the  orchestra  and  the  pit,  there  was  made  a  magnifi- 
cent ball-room.  Twenty-four  chandeliers  hung  from 
the  ceiling,  and  candelabra  were  set  on  each  side  of 
every  box.  The  decorations  consisted  of  silver  gauze, 
and  wreaths  of  flowers.  The  uniforms  of  the  men 
and  the  dresses  of  the  women  were  almost  equally 
magnificent.  The  eyes  of  the  spectators  were  dazzled 
by  dresses  trimmed  with  precious  stones.  Never  had 
there  been  seen  such  profusion  of  light,  flowers,  per- 
fumes, and  diamonds.  In  this  magical  setting,  fash- 
ionable beauties,  with  their  dresses  worked  with  silver 
and  gold  foil,  their  turbans  of  Eastern  stuffs,  their 
jewels  and  ancient  cameos,  appeared  like  sultanas.  It 
was  a  most  sumptuous  and  fairy-like  show. 

The  marshals  arrived  at  eight  in  the  evening,  the 
Empress  at  ten,  the  Emperor  at  eleven ;  as  he  entered 
the  ball-room,  the  applause  was  so  violent  that  it  was 
feared  that  the  candles  would  be  put  out.  A  military- 
march  was  played,  and  then  there  was  a  concert,  clos- 
ing with  the  Abb^  Rose's  Vivat  Imperator^  which  had 
made  such  an  impression  on  the  Coronation  Day. 
After  the  concert.  Prince  Louis  Bonaparte,  Marshal 
Murat,  Eugene  de  Beauharnais,  and  Marshal  Berthier 
opened  the  ball  with  the  Princesses.  The  Emperor 
walked  twice  around  the  hall,  as  if  he  were  reviewing 
troops.     Then  he  sat  down  by  the  side  of  the  Empress 


84  COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

on  a  raised  platform,  and  withdrew  before  the  end  of 
the  ball. 

Besides  all  these  entertainments  there  were  the 
grand  levees  and  concerts  at  the  Tuileries.  The  Hall 
of  the  Marshals  was  an  impressive  sight  on  those 
evenings,  filled,  as  it  was,  with  young  and  pretty 
women,  in  gorgeous  dresses,  and  with  men  resplen- 
dent with  stars,  epaulettes,  feathered  hats,  and  sword- 
belts  set  with  diamonds.  After  the  concert  the 
company  would  go  to  the  Gallery  of  Diana,  where  the 
supper-tables  were  set :  that  of  the  Empress,  those  of 
the  Princesses,  of  the  Lady  of  Honor,  of  the  Lady  of 
the  Bedchamber,  of  the  Ladies  of  the  Palace.  "All 
these  tables,"  says  the  Duchess  of  Abrantes,  "were 
occupied  by  women  with  roses  on  their  heads,  and 
smiles  on  their  lips,  and  often  with  tears  in  their 
eyes ;  for  vanity,  everywhere  triumphant,  holds  its 
court  especially  at  court.  There,  favor  is  everything, 
disgrace  is  everything.  A  chance  word  or  glance  of 
the  Emperor  or  Empress  is  a  blow  and  a  serious  one. 
What,  then,  must  be  the  result  of  an  invitation  sent 
or  withheld?" 

During  the  concert  the  Empress  made  up  the  sup- 
per-table ;  that  is  to  say,  chose  the  women  who  were 
to  sit  at  her  table,  commissioning  her  chamberlain  to 
notify  those  she  had  selected.  The  Princesses  did 
the  same,  and  the  officers  of  their  households  likewise 
informed  the  women  whom  they  had  chosen.  There 
were  but  twelve  places  at  the  Empress's  table  j  eight 


THE  FESTIVITIES.  85 

or  ten  at  those  of  the  Princesses.  When  the  cham- 
berlains came  to  bring  these  most  welcome  invitations, 
there  fluttered  through  the  eight  hundred  or  thou- 
sand women  present  at  the  concerts  and  grand  levees 
an  anxious  emotion  which  amused  observers.  The 
aspect  of  the  Gallery  of  Diana  was  most  impressive. 
On  the  Empress's  table  shone  a  golden  service  amid 
glass  and  Sdvres  ware.  During  the  supper  the  men 
strolled  up  and  down  the  gallery,  but  as  soon  as  the 
Emperor  appeared,  awe  and  fear  appeared  on  every 
face.  It  seemed  as  if  the  times  of  Louis  XIV.  had 
returned,  of  which  La  Bruy^re  said:  "Nothing  so 
disfigures  certain  courtiers  as  the  presence  of  their 
Prince ;  I  can  sometimes  scarcely  recognize  them,  so 
altered  are  their  features,  so  degraded  their  faces. 
The  proud  and  haughty  ones  are  the  most  disturbed, 
for  they  change  the  most ;  and  the  upright  and  mod- 
est man  comes  out  best ;  he  has  nothing  to  change." 
The  Duchess  of  Abrant^s,  recalling  the  intimida- 
tion caused  by  Napoleon's  approach,  wrote :  "  Even 
those  who  nowadays  talk  about  the  Corsican  with  a 
great  show  of  scorn,  those  very  ones  (I  have  seen 
them,  and  I  am  not  the  only  one,)  were  the  most  timid 
before  the  very  shadow  of  his  hat."  The  women 
trembled  even  more.  They  dreaded  the  questions 
the  Emperor  might  put  to  them,  and,  according  to 
Madame  de  R^musat,  there  was  not  one  who  would 
not  gladly  have  been  anywhere  else.  During  the  First 
Empire,  everything,  even  the  festivities,  wore  a  mill- 


86         COUBT  OF  TBE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE, 

tary  air.  TL<}  sovereign  always  had  the  air  of  a  com- 
manding general.  Discipline  prevailed  at  a  ball  as 
well  as  in  a  camp,  and  the  young  men  took  part  in 
those  pleasures  only  to  return  with  renewed  zeal  and 
courage  to  the  battle-field. 


vm. 

THE  ETIQUETTE  OP  THE  IMPEEIAL  PALACE. 

BY  the  beginning  of  1805  the  court  was  definitely 
formed.  After  laborious  studies  on  the  part  of 
a  special  commission,  and  long  discussions  in  which 
Napoleon  took  as  interested  a  part  as  he  did  in  the 
preparation  of  the  civil  code,  all  the  wheels  of 
etiquette  had  been  arranged,  and  the  machinery- 
worked  with  perfect  regularity.  The  Emperor  at- 
tached great  importance  to  the  subject,  from  both  a 
political  and  a  social  point  of  view.  In  his  eyes,  eti- 
quette had  the  great  advantage  of  drawing  between 
him  and  those  who  had  recently  been  his  superiors,  a 
distinct  line  of  separation.  He  looked  upon  it  as  a 
useful  tool  of  government,  as  an  accompaniment  of 
glory  absolutely  essential  for  a  sovereign,  especially 
for  one  of  recent  origin.  He  was  very  proud  of  his 
court,  of  the  wealth  it  displayed,  and  of  the  vast 
results  he  obtained  at  a  comparatively  small  expense, 
and  at  Saint  Helena  he  liked  to  recall  its  agreeable 
memory. 

"  The  Emperor's  court,"  we  read  in  the  Memorial^ 
"  was  in  every  respect  much  more  magnificent  than 

87 


88  COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

anything  that  had  been  seen  up  to  that  time,  and  cost 
infinitely  less.  The  suppression  of  abuses,  order  and 
regularity  in  the  accounts,  made  the  great  difference. 
His  hunting,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  useless  or 
absurd  particulars,  such  as  the  use  of  falcons,  was  as 
splendid  and  as  crowded  as  that  of  Louis  XIV.,  and 
it  cost  only  four  hundred  thousand  francs  a  year, 
while  the  King's  cost  seven  millions.  It  was  the 
same  way  with  the  table ;  Duroc's  order  and  severity 
wrought  wonders.  Under  the  kings,  the  palaces 
were  not  permanently  furnished ;  the  same  furniture 
was  transported  from  one  palace  to  another;  there 
were  no  accommodations  for  the  people  of  the  court ; 
every  one  had  to  provide  for  himself.  Under  him, 
however,  there  was  no  one  in  attendance,  who,  in  the 
room  allotted  him,  was  not  as  comfortable  as  at  home, 
or  even  more  comfortable,  so  far  as  what  was  essential 
and  proper  was  concerned." 

The  court  moved  as  smoothly  as  a  well-drilled  regi- 
ment. Napoleon  would  have  shown  no  mercy  to  the 
slightest  disregard  of  the  rules  he  had  himself  drawn 
up  after  long  meditation.  The  courtiers  were  expected 
to  be  as  familiar  with  the  code  of  etiquette  as  were 
Bie  officers  with  the  manual  of  arms.  The  Emperor 
noticed  the  minutest  details,  busied  himself  with 
everything,  saw  everything.  There  had  been  much 
more  latitude  at  court  under  the  old  monarchy,  and 
those  of  the  old  regime  who  entered  the  Emperor's 
court  were  soon  wearied  by  the  inflexible  severity  of 
its  discipline.     The  court,  moreover,  was  very  splen- 


ETIQUETTE  OF  THE  IMPERIAL  PALACE.       89 

did.  The  Faubourg  Saint  Germain  brought  to  it 
its  politeness  and  conversational  charm.  For  his 
part,  Napoleon  speedily  assumed  the  manners  of  a 
European  sovereign,  while  preserving  his  martial 
character.  He  was  at  the  same  time  Emperor  and 
commander-in-chief.  Yet  the  military  element  did 
not  control  his  court ;  the  civil  element  was  more 
powerful  there  than  in  other  European  courts,  the 
Russian,  for  example.  Napoleon  would  never  have 
suffered  in  his  presence  the  faintest  sign  of  the  fa- 
miliarity of  the  camp;  every  one  who  crossed  the 
threshold  of  the  Tuileries  was  compelled  to  pre- 
serve the  manners,  the  bearing,  the  language  of  a 
courtier. 

The  levees  and  couchees  of  the  sovereign  were 
restored  as  in  the  time  of  the  Bourbons;  though 
under  the  monarchy  they  were  real  things,  and  a 
mere  imitation  under  the  Empire.  These  moments 
were  not  devoted  to  the  petty  details  of  toilette,  but 
t-ather  to  receiving,  morning  and  evening,  those  mem- 
bers of  the  civil  and  military  household  who  had  to 
receive  his  direct  orders  or  enjoyed  the  right  of  "  pay- 
ing their  court  at  these  privileged  hours."  At  Saint 
Helena,  Napoleon  boasted  that  at  the  Tuileries  he 
had  suppressed  in  the  matter  of  etiquette  "  all  that 
was  real  and  commonplace,  and  had  substituted  what 
was  merely  nominal  and  decorative."  "  A  king,"  he 
said,  "  is  not  a  natural  product ;  he  is  a  result  of  civ- 
ilization. He  does  not  exist  nakedly,  but  only  when 
dressed." 


90  COUBT  OF  THE  EMPBES8  JOSEPHINE. 

Let  US  try  to  retrace  the  lines  of  etiquette  as  they 
existed  in  1805,  at  the  same  time  indicating  the  prin- 
cipal members  of  the  Emperor's  household  and  the 
nature  of  their  duties.  There  were  many  separate 
duties,  each  under  the  control  of  a  high  officer  of  the 
Crown,  with  their  provinces  carefully  defined  and 
sedulously  distinguished  from  one  another.  There 
were  six  high  officers  of  the  Crown:  the  Grand 
Almoner  (Cardinal  Fesch) ;  the  Grand  Marshal  of 
the  Palace  (General  Duroc)  ;  the  Grand  Equerry 
(General  de  Caulaincourt)  ;  the  Grand  Chamberlain 
(M.  de  Talleyrand) ;  the  Grand  Master  of  Ceremo- 
nies (M.  de  S%ur). 

The  colonels-general  were :  Marshal  Davout,  com- 
manding the  foot  grenadiers;  Marshal  Soult,  com- 
manding the  chasseurs-a-pieds ;  Marshal  Bessi^res, 
commanding  the  ca\alry;  Marshal  Mortier,  com- 
manding the  artillery  and  sailors.  These  colonels- 
general  of  the  Imperial  Guard  formed  part  of  the 
Emperor's  household,  and  enjoyed  the  same  preroga- 
tives as  the  high  officers  of  the  Crown. 

The  Grand  Almoner  was  the  bishop  of  the  court, 
wherever  that  might  be.  He  gave  the  Emperor  and 
his  court  a  dispensation  from  fasting.  He  accom- 
panied him  to  church  ceremonies  and  gave  him  his 
prayer-book.  At  grand  dinners  he  said  grace.  He 
set  free  the  prisoners  whom  the  Emperor  pardoned 
on  certain  holy  days. 

The  Grand  Marshal  of  the  palace  had  charge  of 
the  military  command  in  the  Imperial  residences ;  of 


ETIQUETTE  OF  THE  IMPERIAL  PALACE,       91 

their  maintenance,  decoration,  and  furnishing ;  of  the 
assignment  of  rooms,  the  supply  of  food,  the  heating, 
lights,  silver,  and  livery.  He  commanded  the  detach- 
ments of  the  Imperial  Guard  on  duty  in  the  Imperial 
palaces.  He  gave  orders  to  beat  the  reveille  and  the 
tattoo,  to  open  and  shut  the  palace  gates.  When  the 
Emperor  was  with  the  army,  or  travelling,  he  had  to 
find  him  quarters.  In  1805  the  Grand  Marshal's 
budget  amounted  to  2,338,167  francs.  In  1806  it 
reached  the  sum  of  2,770,841  francs.  There  were 
four  tables  in  the  palace,  —  that  of  the  officers  and 
ladies-in-waiting,  that  of  the  officers  of  the  guard  and 
the  pages,  that  of  the  ladies  who  read  to  the  Empress 
and  introduced  visitors. 

The  Grand  Marshal  had  under  his  orders  the  pre- 
fects of  the  palace :  M.  de  Lu^ay,  M.  de  Bausset,  and  M. 
de  Saint  Didier.  They  had  charge  of  the  provisions, 
lighting,  heating,  the  silver,  and  the  liveries.  They 
inspected  the  kitchens,  pantries,  cellars,  and  linen- 
closet  to  see  that  everything  was  in  order.  There 
was  always  one  prefect  of  the  palace  on  duty  for  a 
week  at  a  time.  He  also  carried  word  to  the  Emperor 
and  the  Empress  when  a  meal  was  ready,  conducted 
them  to  the  table,  and  back  to  their  rooms  after- 
wards. 

The  Grand  Marshal  had  also  under  his  orders  the 
governor  of  the  palaces  and  the  marshals ;  these  last 
were  charged  with  choosing  apartments  for  the 
Emperor  and  the  Empress,  and  quarters  for  their 
suite  in  the  Imperial  residences  and  on  journeys. 


92         COUET  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

They  had  for  assistants  the  quartermasters  of  the 
palace. 

The  Master  of  the  Hounds  had  charge  of  all 
the  coursing  and  hunting  in  the  woods  and  forests 
belonging  to  the  Crown. 

The  Grand  Equerry  looked  after  the  stables,  the 
pages,  the  couriers,  and  the  Emperor's  arms ;  he  also 
had  the  supervision  of  the  horses  at  Saint  Cloud. 
He  walked  just  before  the  Emperor  when  he  came 
forth  from  his  rooms  to  ride,  gave  him  his  whip,  held 
his  reins  and  the  left  stirrup.  He  was  responsible 
for  the  good  condition  of  the  carriages,  the  intelli- 
gence and  skill  of  the  huntsmen,  coachman,  and  the 
postilions,  the  safety  and  the  training  of  the  horses. 
In  a  procession,  or  on  a  journey,  he  was  in  the  car- 
riage just  before  the  Emperor's.  He  accompanied 
the  Emperor  to  the  army,  and  if  the  sovereign's 
horse  was  killed  or  disabled,  it  was  his  duty  to  pick 
the  Emperor  up  and  to  offer  him  his  own  horse. 

The  Grand  Equerry  had  four  equerries  rmder  his 
orders :  Colonels  Durosnel,  Defrance,  Lefebvre,  Vatier, 
and  two  equerries  in  ordinary,  M.  de  Canisy  and  M. 
de  Villoutrey.  An  equerry  on  duty  always  accompa- 
nied the  Emperor,  whether  he  was  driving  or  riding. 
If  the  Emperor  drove,  the  equerry  on  duty  rode  by 
the  right-hand  door  of  the  carriage,  unless  the  colonel- 
general  on  duty  happened  to  be  on  horseback,  in 
which  case  the  equerry  rode  on  the  other  side.  The 
equerry  on  duty  walked  before  the  Emperor  when 
he  left  or  returned  to  his  apartment;  he  never  left 


ETIQUETTE  OF  THE  IMPERIAL  PALACE.       93 

the  waiting-room  during  the  day,  and  slept  in  the 
palace. 

The  pages,  whose  governor  was  General  Gardane, 
were  also  under  the  orders  of  the  Grand  Equerry. 
They  were  appointed  when  between  fourteen  and 
sixteen,  and  held  the  position  until  they  were 
eighteen.  At  grand  dinners  and  in  the  apartments 
of  honor,  they  waited  on  the  Emperor  and  Empress, 
and  on  the  Princes  and  Princesses.  When  the 
Emperor  rode  out,  one  followed  on  horseback ;  if  he 
drove,  the  page  got  up  behind  the  carriage.  When 
the  sovereign  went  forth  in  his  state-coach,  as  many 
pages  as  possible  clambered  up  behind  it  and  upon 
the  box  by  the  side  of  the  coachman.  At  receptions^ 
and  on  days  when  mass  was  said,  there  were  eight 
pages  on  duty.  They  stood  in  a  row  when  the 
Emperor  returned  to  his  apartment,  and  walked 
before  him  when  he  left  it.  If  the  Emperor  had  not 
returned  to  the  palace  by  nightfall,  the  pages  would 
wait  at  the  entrance-door  to  walk  before  him,  carrying 
lights.  The  pages,  too,  served  as  messengers,  and 
when  they  carried  letters  of  the  Emperor,  the  doors 
were  thrown  wide  open  before  them. 

The  impression  produced  by  the  pages,  when  they 
were  first  on  duty  at  the  Tuileries  in  1804,  is  thus 
described  by  a  contemporary:  "They  have  been 
much  noticed,  especially  in  the  evening,  by  the 
ladies.  The  fact  is,  they  are  all  good-looking  boys, 
particularly  the  oldest ;  they  have  good  figures  and 
wear  a  new  and  becoming  uniform,  and  since    they 


94  COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

are  in  the  service  of  a  severe  master,  and  of  a  most 
kind  and  indulgent  mistress,  they  have  to  be  very 
attentive  and  considerate.  Their  full  dress  differs 
from  livery  only  by  the  lace  of  their  coat  which  imi- 
tates embroidery,  by  the  knot  on  their  left  shoulder, 
and  by  the  lace  frill  above  their  waistcoat.  Besides, 
in  full  dress  they  wear,  like  footmen,  a  green  coat 
with  all  the  seams  laced  with  gold,  gold  shoe-buckles, 
a  hat  with  a  white  feather,  but  they  have  no  sword. 
Perhaps  this  is  well,  for  they  would  be  playing  with 
it.  They  have  all  been  chosen  among  the  sons  of 
generals  of  divisions  and  of  high  dignitaries  of  the 
Empire." 

At  Saint  Helena  Napoleon  said,  speaking  of  the 
pages  and  the  Imperial  stables :  "  The  Emperor's 
stables  cost  him  three  million  francs ;  the  horses  cost 
three  thousand  francs  apiece  per  year.  A  page,  from 
six  to  eight  thousand  francs ;  this  last  was  perhaps 
the  heaviest  expense  of  the  palace ;  but  there  was 
every  reason  to  be  satisfied  with  the  education  they 
received,  and  with  the  care  taken  with  them.  All 
the  first  families  of  the  Empire  sought  to  get  the 
places  for  their  sons  ;  and  they  were  right." 

The  Grand  Chamberlain  had  charge  of  all  the 
honors  of  the  palace,  the  regular  audiences,  the 
oaths  taken  in  the  Emperor's  study,  the  admissions, 
the  levees  and  couchees,  the  festivities,  receptions, 
theatrical  performances,  the  music,  the  boxes  of  the 
Emperor  and  Empress  at  the  different  theatres,  the 
Emperor's  wardrobe,  his  library ;  he  also  looked  after 
the  ushers  and  valets  de  chambre. 


ETIQUETTE  OF  THE  IMPEBIAL  PALACE,       95 

The  Grand  Chamberlain  had  under  his  orders 
(this  refers  to  1805),  a  First  Chamberlain,  M.  de 
E^musat,  and  thirteen  chamberlains :  MM.  d' Arberg, 
A.  de  Talleyrand,  de  Laturbie,  de  Brigode,  de  Viry, 
de  Thiard,  Garnier  de  Lariboisidre,  d'H^douville,  de 
Croy,  de  Mercy-Argenteau,  de  Zuidwyck,  de  Tour- 
non,  de  Bondy.  In  the  Imperial  Almanack  of  1805, 
these  men  are  not  named  with  their  titles,  even 
the  de  is  in  all  cases  omitted  or  joined  with  the 
name,  thus :  M.  R^musat,  M.  Darberg,  A.  Talley- 
rand, Laturbie,  Tournon,  Dethiard,  Deviry,  H^dou- 
ville,  etc.,  etc. 

The  chamberlain  on  duty  was  called  the  chamber- 
lain of  the  day.  At  the  palace  there  were  always 
two  chamberlains  of  the  day,  one  for  the  grand 
apartment,  the  other  for  the  Emperor's  apartment  of 
honor.  They  were  relieved  every  week.  The  prin- 
cipal duties  of  the  chamberlains  were  to  have  charge 
of  introductions  to  the  Emperor,  to  give  orders  to  the 
ushers  and  valets  de  chambre,  to  see  that  the  orders 
about  the  receptions  were  carried  out,  and  to  attend 
upon  the  sovereign's  levees  and  couchees. 

Either  a  chamberlain  or  one  of  the  Emperor's  aides- 
de-camp  served  as  Master  of  the  Wardrobe.  He  had 
charge  of  the  clothes,  the  linen,  the  lace,  the  boots 
and  shoes,  and  of  the  ribbons  of  the  Legion  of  Honor. 
If  he  assisted  at  the  Emperor's  toilet,  he  had  to 
hand  him  his  coat,  fasten  his  ribbon  or  collar,  give 
him  his  sword,  hat,  and  gloves,  in  the  Grand  Chamber- 
lain's absence. 


96  COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

The  Grand  Master  of  Ceremonies  determined  ques- 
tions of  rank  and  precedence,  drew  up  and  enforced 
the  rules  for  j)ublic,  formal  ceremonies,  for  the  recep- 
tion of  sovereigns  and  hereditary  princes,  and  foreign 
ambassadors  and  ministers. 

The  colonels-general  of  the  Imperial  Guard  and  the 
Emperor's  aides  also  made  part  of  the  household. 

At  ceremonies  when  the  Emperor  was  in  his  state- 
coach,  there  were  two  colonels-general  of  the  Guard 
at  the  left  door.  When  he  rode,  all  four  followed 
close  behind.  The  Grand  Equerry,  or  his  substitute, 
had  a  place  among  them. 

The  colonel-general  on  duty  received  directly  the 
Emperor's  orders  relative  to  the  different  require- 
ments of  the  Imperial  Guard,  and  transmitted  them 
directly  to  the  other  colonels-general.  He  was  quar- 
tered in  the  palace,  in  preference  to  any  other  officer 
of  the  Crown,  and  as  near  as  possible  to  the  Emperor's 
apartment,  whether  at  the  residence  or  when  travel- 
ling.    In  the  field  he  slept  in  the  Emperor's  tent. 

Napoleon  had  twelve  aides-de-camp.  The  one  on 
duty  was  called  the  aide-de-camp  of  the  day.  He 
always  had  a  horse  saddled  or  a  carriage  harnessed 
ready  in  the  stable,  to  carry  any  messages  the  Em- 
peror might  give.  As  soon  as  the  Emperor  had  gone 
to  bed,  the  aide-de-camp  on  duty  was  especially 
entrusted  with  guarding  him,  and  he  slept  in  an 
adjoining  room.  In  the  field  the  Emperor's  aides 
served  as  chamberlains. 

There  were  two  distinct  elements  in  the  Emperor's 


ETIQUETTE  OF  THE  IMPEBIAL  PALACE.       97 

household:  the  military,  and  the  aristocratic.  Some 
men  owed  their  position  entirely  to  their  merit ;  others 
entirely  to  their  birth ;  these  were  both  patriots  of 
1792  and  ^migrds,  but  it  must  be  confessed  the  Im- 
perial Almanack  shows  that  the  aristocratic  element 
was  the  more  prominent.  Napoleon,  though  certain 
writers  persist  in  representing  him  as  the  crowned 
champion  of  democracy  and  the  emperor  of  the 
lower  classes,  had  a  more  aristocratic  court  than 
Louis  XVIII.  He  was  more  impressed  by  great  man- 
ners than  were  the  old  kings.  Even  after  he  had 
been  betrayed,  abandoned,  denied,  insulted  by  the 
aristocracy,  he  had  a  weakness  for  it.  In  1816  he 
said  :  "  The  democracy  may  become  furious ;  it  has  a 
heart ;  it  can  be  moved.  The  aristocracy  always  re- 
mains cold  and  never  pardons."  Yet  even  after  this, 
he  blamed  himself  for  not  having  done  enough  for 
the  French  nobility.  "  I  see  clearly,"  he  went  on, 
"  that  I  did  either  too  much  or  too  little  for  the 
Faubourg  Saint  Germain.  I  did  enough  to  make 
the  opposition  dissatisfied,  and  not  enough  to  win 
it  to  my  side.  I  ought  to  have  secured  the  ^migr^s 
when  they  returned.  The  aristocracy  would  have 
soon  adored  me ;  and  I  needed  it ;  it  is  the  true,  the 
only  support  of  a  monarchy,  its  moderator,  its  lever, 
its  resisting  point;  without  it,  the  state  is  like  a 
ship  without  a  ^rudder,  a  balloon  in  mid-air.  Now, 
the  strength,  the  charm  of  the  aristocracy  lies  in  its 
antiquity,  the  only  thing  I  could  not  create."  It 
must  be  confessed  that  from  an  old  Republican  gen- 


98         COUBT  OF  THE  EMPItES8  JOSEPHINE 

eral,  for  the  man  who  had  sent  Augereau  to  execute 
the  coup  d'etat  of  the  18th  Fructidor,  and  who  the 
13th  Venddmiaire,  from  the  steps  of  the  Church 
of  Saint  Roch  had  crushed  the  Paris  conserva- 
tives, this  was  a  very  aristocratic  way  of  talking, 
reminding  one  of  the  old  regime.  In  1816  Napoleon 
said  again:  "Old  and  corrupt  nations  cannot  be 
governed  like  the  virtuous  peoples  of  antiquity.  For 
one  man  nowadays  who  would  sacrifice  everything 
for  the  public  welfare,  there  are  thousands  who  take 
no  thought  of  anything  except  their  own  interests, 
pleasures,  and  vanity.  Now  to  pretend  to  regenerate 
a  people  off-hand  would  be  madness.  The  workman's 
genius  is  shown  by  his  knowing  how  to  make  use  of 
the  materials  under  his  hand,  and  that  is  the  secret 
of  the  restoration  of  all  the  forms  of  the  monarchy, 
of  the  return  of  titles,  crosses,  and  ribbons." 

The  old  Republicans  of  1796,  who  used  to  denounce 
kings,  "drunk  with  blood  and  pride,"  would  not  have 
readily  recognized  their  old  general  under  the  golden 
canopies  of  the  Tuileries,  where  he  dined  in  state. 
His  table  stood  on  a  platform,  beneath  a  canopy,  and 
there  were  two  chairs,  one  for  himself,  the  other  for 
the  Empress.  As  he  entered  the  banquet-hall,  he 
was  preceded  by  a  swarm  of  pages,  masters-of-cere- 
monies,  and  prefects  of  the  palace  ;  he  was  followed 
by  the  colonel-general  on  duty,  the  Grand  Cham- 
berlain, the  Grand  Equerry,  and  the  Grand  Almoner. 
The  Grand  Almoner  advanced  to  the  table  and 
blessed   the   dinner.       A   general    of    division,   the 


ETIQUETTE  OF  THE  IMPEBIAL  PALACE.       99 

Grand  Equerry  Caulaincourt,  offered  a  chair  to 
Bonaparte.  Another  general  of  division,  Duroc,  the 
Grand  Marshal  of  the  Palace,  handed  him  his  nap- 
kin and  poured  out  his  wine.  Not  merely  high  dig- 
nitaries, but  the  Princes  of  the  Empire  themselves, 
deemed  it  an  honor  to  wait  upon  him  as  servants.  If 
a  Prince  of  the  Imperial  family  happened  to  be  in 
the  Emperor's  room,  any  article  of  dress  that  he 
asked  for  was  given  by  the  chamberlain-in-waiting 
to  the  Prince,  and  by  the  Prince  to  the  Emperor. 
The  time  of  the  Sun  King  seemed  to  have  returned.. 
The  Imperial  apartment  at  the  Tuileries  consisted 
of  two  distinct  parts,  the  grand  state  apartments  and 
the  Emperor's  private  apartment.  The  state  apart- 
ment contained  the  following  rooms :  1,  a  concert 
hall  (the  Hall  of  the  Marshals) ;  2,  a  first  drawing- 
room  (under  Napoleon  III.  called  the  Drawing-room 
of  the  First  Consul) ;  3,  a  second  drawing-room  (that 
of  Apollo) ;  4,  a  throne  room ;  5,  a  drawing-room  of 
the  Emperor  (afterwards  called  that  of  Louis  XIV.) ; 
6,  a  gallery  (of  Diana).  The  private  apartment  was 
itself  composed  of  the  apartment  of  honor,  containing 
a  hall  of  the  guards  and  a  first  and  second  drawing- 
room,  and  an  interior  apartment  containing  a  bed- 
room, a  study,  an  o£Qce,  and  topographic  bureau. 
The  ushers  had  charge  of  the  apartment  of  honor; 
the  valets  de  chambre  of  the  other.  A  rigid  etiquette 
determined  the  right  of  entrance  into  the  different 
rooms  composing  the  state  apartment,  according  to  a 
carefully  studied  system.     The  pages  were  authorized 


100        COURT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

to  enter  the  Hall  of  the  Marshals ;  members  of  the 
household  of  the  Emperor  and  Empress  could  enter 
the  first  and  second  drawing-rooms  ;  the  Princes  and 
Princesses  of  the  Imperial  family,  the  high  officers  of 
the  Crown,  the  presidents  of  the  great  bodies  of  the 
state,  had  admission  to  the  throne  room.  Men  and 
women  had  to  bow  to  the  throne  whenever  they  passed 
it.  The  Emperor  and  the  Empress  alone  had  the 
right  of  entering  the  Emperor's  drawing-room.  No 
one  else  could  go  in  except  by  the  Emperor's  summons. 

An  absurd  importance  was  attached  to  these  trivial- 
ities, to  these  empty  nothings,  to  the  right  of  entering 
this  room  or  that,  of  walking  before  this  or  that  per- 
son, of  handing  the  Emperor  this  or  that  article  of 
dress.  "An  honest,  reasonable  man,"  said  Madame 
de  R^musat,  "is  often  overcome  with  shame  at  the 
pleasures  and  pains  of  a  courtier's  life,  and  yet  it  is 
hard  to  escape  from  them.  A  ribbon,  a  slight  differ- 
ence of  dress,  the  right  of  way  through  a  door,  the 
entrance  into  such  and  such  a  drawing-room,  are  the 
occasion,  contemptible  in  appearance,  of  a  host  of 
ever  new  emotions.  Vain  is  the  struggle  to  acquire 
indifference  to  them.  ...  In  vain  do  the  mind  and 
the  reason  revolt  against  such  an  employment  of 
human  faculties;  however  dissatisfied  one  is  with 
one's  seK,  it  is  necessary  to  humiliate  one's  self  before 
every  one  and  to  desert  the  court,  or  else  to  consent 
to  take  seriously  all  the  nonsense  that  fills  the  air 
and  breathes  there." 

Vanity  of  human  events  I     What  has  become  of 


ETIQUETTE  OF  THE  IMPERlkL'''PALAOEy''idi^ 

these  drawing-rooms  of  the  Tuileries,  which  it  was 
such  an  honor  to  enter,  which  were  trod  with  such 
respectful  awe  ?  Look  at  the  lamentahle  ruins  of 
this  ill-fated  palace.  There  may  still  be  seen,  black- 
ened with  petroleum  and  stained  by  the  rain,  some  of 
those  drawing-rooms,  once  so  brilliant,  once  thronged 
with  an  eager  and  showy  crowd.  What  an  instruc- 
tive spectacle  I  When  is  one  more  urgently  reminded 
of  the  emptiness  of  human  glory  and  greatness  ?  This 
nothingness  fills  the  soul  with  melancholy  when  one 
thinks  that  soon  these  crumbling  fragments  will  be 
razed  and  that  soon  one  can  say  with  the  poet :  The 
ruins  themselves  have  perished,  Etiam  periere  ruinae  !^ 

1  The  ruins  have  since  been  removed. — Tr. 


IX. 

THE  HOUSEHOLD  OF  THE  EMPKESS. 

WE  have  just  studied  the  civil  and  the  military- 
household  of  the  Emperor  in  1805;  let  us 
now  study  the  Empress's  household  at  the  same 
period. 

The  Empress's  First  Almoner  was  a  bishop,  a  great 
lord,  Ferdinand  de  Rohan.  Her  Maid  of  Honor  was 
a  relative  of  her  first  husband,  the  Duchess  de  La 
Rochefoucauld,  called  in  the  Imperial  Almanack  of 
1805  simply  Madame  Chastul^  de  La  Rochefoucauld. 
She  was  short  and  deformed,  but  distinguished  for 
her  intelligence,  tact,  and  wit,  void  of  ambition,  with 
no  taste  for  intrigue,  who  only  reluctantly  accepted 
the  position  of  Maid  of  Honor,  and  often  wanted  to 
hand  in  her  resignation.  The  Lady  of  the  Bedcham- 
ber was  Madame  de  Lavalette,  a  Beauharnais,  an 
able  and  affectionate  woman,  who  immortalized  her- 
self, in  the  early  days  of  the  Restoration,  by  saving 
her  husband's  life  by  her  heroism. 

To  the  four  Ladies  of  the  Palace  at  the  beginning 
of  the  Empire,  Madame  de  Lugay,  Madame  de 
RdmvLsiat,  Madame  de  Talhouet,  Madame  de  Lauris- 


THE  HOUSEHOLD   OF  THE  EMPEESS.         103 

ton,  were  added  thirteen  other  ladies:  Madame 
Duch^tel,  Madame  de  Sdran,  Madame  de  Colbert, 
Madame  Savary,  Madame  Octave  de  Sdgur,  Madame 
de  Turenne,  Madame  de  Montalivet,  Madame  de 
Bouill^,  Madame  de  Vaux,  Madame  de  Marescot. 

The  Maid  of  Honor  was  for  the  Empress  what  the 
Grand  Chamberlain  was  for  the  Emperor.  The  Lady 
of  the  Bedchamber's  duties  corresponded  to  those  of 
the  Keeper  of  the  Wardrobe.  The  Ladies  of  the 
Palace  were,  so  to  speak,  female  chamberlains. 

"  We  were  all,"  said  the  Duchess  of  Abrant^s,  "  at 
that  time  radiant  with  a  sort  of  glory  which  women 
seek  as  eagerly  as  men  do  theirs,  that  of  elegance 
and  beauty.  Among  the  young  women  composing 
the  court  of  the  Empress  and  that  of  the  Princesses 
it  would  have  been  hard  to  find  a  single  ill-favored 
woman,  and  there  were  very  many  whose  beauty 
made,  with  no  exaggeration,  the  greatest  ornament 
of  the  festivities  held  every  day  in  that  fairy-like 
time." 

All  the  Ladies  of  the  Palace  were  young,  and 
almost  all  were  remarkable  for  their  beauty.  Among 
the  most  conspicuous  was  Madame  Ney,  a  niece  of 
Madame  Campan;  Madame  Lannes,  whose  face  re- 
called the  most  charming  pictures  of  Raphael,  and 
above  all,  the  wife  of  an  already  aged  Councillor  of 
State,  Madame  Duchatel  (whose  son  was  Minister  of 
the  Interior  in  the  reign  of  Louis  Philippe,  and 
whose  grandson  was  Ambassador  of  the  Republic  at 
Vienna).     The  Duchess  of  Abrarttds  thus  describes 


104       COURT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

t"his  famous  beauty :  "  There  is  one  woman  in  the 
Imperial  court  who  made  her  appearance  in  society 
shortly  before  the  coronation,  whose  portrait  is  drawn 
in  all  the  contemporaiy  memoirs,  especially  in  those 
written  by  a  woman,  and  that  is  Madame  Duch^tel. 
Madame  Duch^tel  would  not  serve  as  a  model  for  a 
sculptor,  because  her  features  lack  the  regularity 
which  his  art  requires.  The  indefinable  charm  of 
her  face,  a  charm  which  words  are  unable  to  convey, 
lay  in  dark  blue  eyes,  with  long,  silken  lashes,  in 
a  delicate,  gracious,  refined  smile,  which  disclosed 
teeth  of  ivory  whiteness,  and,  moreover,  beautiful 
light  hair,  small  hands  and  feet,  a  general  elegance 
which  matched  a  really  remarkable  mind.  All  these 
things  formed  a  combination  which  first  attracted  and 
then  attached  every  one  to  her.'* 

Josephine's  First  Chamberlain,  in  1805,  was  the 
General  of  Division  Nansouty ;  the  chamberlain  who 
introduced  the  ambassadors  was  M.  de  Beaumont; 
there  were  four  ordinary  chamberlains,  MM.  d'Au- 
busson-Lafeuillade,  de  Galard-B^arn,  de  Coutomer; 
de  Gavre ;  a  First  Equerry,  Senator  de  Harville ;  two 
equerries.  Colonel  Fowler  and  General  Bonardy  de 
Saint  Sulpice ;  a  private  secretary,  M.  Deschamps. 
The  Council  of  the  Empress's  household  was  com- 
posed of  the  Maid  of  Honor,  the  Lady  of  the  Bed- 
chamber, the  First  Chamberlain,  and  the  Fii-st 
Equerry.  The  private  secretary  was  also  the  secre- 
tary of  the  Council.  The  Chief  Steward  of  the 
household  was  also  a  member. 


THE  HOUSEHOLD   OF  THE  EMPRESS,         105 

The  Lady  of  the  Bedchamber  had  under  her  orders 
a  first  woman  of  the  bedchamber,  Madame  Aubert, 
who  had  whole  charge  of  the  wardrobe.  Madame 
Saint-Hilaire  held  this  place  under  Josephine,  as 
Madame  Campan  had  done  under  Marie  Antoinette. 
Madame  Saint-Hilaire's  duties  consisted  in  super- 
vising the  chamberwork,  in  receiving  the  Empress's 
orders  about  the  hours  of  her  rising,  and  of  her  morn- 
ing and  evening  toilet.  The  first  woman  of  the  Bed- 
chamber had  what  were  called  the  honors  of  the  ser- 
vice when  the  Maid  of  Honor  and  the  Lady  of  the 
Bedchamber  were  absent.  The  Empress  had  also 
ushers  and  women  who  discharged  the  same  duties, 
six  ordinary  chambermaids,  a  reader,  the  beautiful 
Madame  Gazani;  four  ordinaiy  valets  de  chambre, 
and  two  footmen,  trusted  men  always  in  the  ante- 
chamber. The  ushers,  who  remained  without  the 
drawing-room  where  the  Empress  was,  never  opened 
both  the  doors  to  their  full  width  except  for  the 
Princes  and  Princesses  of  the  Imperial  family ;  and 
they  could  not  leave  their  posts  except  to  ask  the 
Maid  of  Honor  the  names  of  those  who  were  waiting 
to  be  presented.  There  were  two  pages  in  the  Em- 
press's service;  the  older  carried  the  train  of  her 
dress  when  she  left  her  apartments,  and  got  in  or  out 
of  a  carriage ;  the  other  walked  before  her. 

The  Empress's  apartment  consisted  of  an  apart- 
ment of  honor  and  an  inner  apartment.  The  first 
consisted  of  an  ante-chamber,  the  first  drawing-room, 
the  second  drawing-room,  the  dining-room,  the  music- 


106        COUBT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

room ;  the  other,  of  the  bedroom,  the  library,  dress- 
ing-room, boudoir,  bath-room.  The  entrance  to  the 
Empress's  apartment  was  controlled  by  etiquette  like 
that  to  the  Emperor's. 

Josephine  played  her  part  as  sovereign  as  easily 
as  if  she  had  been  born  on  the  steps  of  the  throne. 
"  One  of  her  charms,"  says  the  Duchess  of  Abrant^s, 
"  was  not  merely  her  graceful  figure,  but  the  way  she 
held  her  head,  and  the  gracious  dignity  with  which 
she  walked  and  turned.  I  have  had  the  honor  of 
being  presented  to  many  real  princesses,  as  they  are 
called  in  the  Faubourg  Saint  Germain,  and  I  can 
truly  say  that  I  have  never  seen  one  more  imposing 
than  Josephine.  She  combined  elegance  and  majesty* 
Never  did  any  queen  so  grace  a  throne  without  hav- 
ing been  trained  to  it." 

Josephine  had  all  the  qualities  that  are  attractive 
in  a  sovereign :  affability,  gentleness,  kindliness,  gen- 
erosity. She  had  a  way  of  convincing  every  one  of 
her  personal  interest.  She  had  an  excellent  memory, 
and  surprised  those  with  whom  she  talked  by  the 
exactness  with  which  she  recalled  the  past,  even  to 
details  they  had  themselves  nearly  forgotten.  The 
sound  of  her  gentle,  penetrating,  and  sympathetic 
voice  added  to  the  courtesy  and  charm  of  her  words. 
Every  one  listened  to  her  with  pleasure ;  she  spoke 
with  grace  and  listened  courteously.  She  wanted  no 
one  to  go  away  from  her  annoyed.  She  always  ap- 
peared to  be  doing  a  kindness,  and  thus  inspired  af- 
fection and  gratitude.     Her  courtiers  and  her  suite 


THE  HOUSEHOLD   OF  THE  EMPRESS.         107 

were  her  friends.  Madame  de  Rdmusat,  who  was 
never  too  favorable,  was  forced  to  recognize  the  charm 
which  Josephine  exercised  over  the  court  by  her  tact, 
intelligence,  and  dignity.  "  The  Empress,"  she  says, 
"  is  enchanted  to  be  surrounded  by  a  large  suite,  and 
it  gratifies  her  vanity.  Her  success  in  attaching 
Madame  de  La  Rochefoucauld  to  her  person,  her 
pleasure  in  counting  MM.  d'Aubusson,  de  Lafeuillade 
among  her  chamberlains,  Madame  d'Arbry,  Madame 
de  S^gur,  and  the  wives  of  the  marshals  among  the 
ladies  of  the  palace,  turned  her  head  a  little,  but  even 
this  feminine  joy  did  not  lessen  her  usual  gracious- 
ness ;  she  always  succeeded  in  maintaining  her  rank, 
even  when  most  deferential  to  those  men  and  women 
who  lent  it  a  new  lustre  by  their  brilliant  names." 
She  was  very  kind,  extremely  soft-hearted,  and  always 
overwhelming  her  companions  with  attentions  and  re- 
gards. Mademoiselle  Avrillon,  her  reader,  says :  "  I 
do  not  believe  that  there  ever  lived  a  woman  with  a 
better  character,  or  with  a  less  changeable  disposition." 
She  never  dared  to  utter  a  word  of  blame  or  reproach. 
"  If  one  of  her  ladies,"  said  Constant,  the  Emperor's 
valet  de  chambre,  "  ever  gave  her  cause  for  dissatis- 
faction, the  only  punishment  she  inflicted  was  to 
maintain  absolute  silence  for  one,  two,  three  days, 
a  week,  more  or  less,  according  to  the  seriousness 
of  the  case.  Well!  this  punishment,  apparently  so 
slight,  was  for  most  of  them  very  severe.  The  Em- 
press knew  so  well  how  to  make  herself  beloved  I  " 
Her  only  fault  was  extravagance.     She  had  an  un- 


108       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

bounded  love  of  luxury  and  dress.  The  jewel-case 
which  had  belonged  to  Marie  Antoinette  was  too 
small  for  Josephine.  One  day  when  she  wanted  to 
show  some  ladies  all  her  jewels,  a  great  table  had  to 
be  arranged  to  hold  the  cases,  and,  since  that  was  not 
enough,  much  more  of  the  furniture  was  covered  by 
them.  Josephine  had  the  fault  that  accompanies  this 
quality,  for  generous  persons  are  commonly  lavish. 
Her  extravagant  expenditures  came  from  her  kindli- 
ness. She  had  not  the  heart  to  dismiss  a  tradesman 
without  buying  something  of  him,  and  it  never  en- 
tered her  head  to  try  to  beat  him  down.  Often  she 
bought  for  vast  sums  things  she  did  not  want,  simply 
to  oblige  the  dealers.  There  was  no  limit  to  her  liber- 
ality. She  would  have  liked  to  own  all  the  treasures 
of  the  earth  in  order  to  give  them  all  away.  She 
sought  for  opportunities  for  alms-giving.  Many  of 
the  dmigr^s  lived  entirely  on  her  bounty.  She  was 
always  in  active  correspondence  with  the  sisters  of 
charity.  She  was  the  Providence  of  the  poor,  and 
did  good  with  delicacy,  tact,  and  discretion.  Giving 
is  not  all ;  the  art  lies  in  knowing  how  to  give.  She 
seemed  to  be  the  debtor  of  those  to  whom  she  made 
gifts.  Naturally,  with  this  disposition,  she  got  into 
debt.  But  Napoleon  was  there  to  help  her;  and  since 
he  was  economical  by  nature,  he  grew  angry  and 
scolded  his  extravagant  wife,  and  ended  by  paying. 

In  fact.  Napoleon  could  refuse  Josephine  nothing, 
and  she  was  really  the  only  woman  who  had  any 
influence  over  him.     If  he  opposed  her,  she  had  an 


THE  HOUSEHOLD  OF  THE  EMPRESS.         109 

infallible  resource  in  her  tears.  She  knew  thoroughly 
her  husband's  character.  She  knew  how  to  speak  to 
that  mind  and  heart.  She  busied  herself  with  seek- 
ing what  could  please,  with  divining  his  wishes,  with 
anticipating  his  slightest  desires.  If  he  was  the  least 
ailing  or  annoyed  she  was  literally  at  his  feet,  and 
then  he  could  not  live  without  her.  He  felt  that 
when  misfortune  came  Josephine  alone  would  be  able 
to  console  him.  She  had  brought  him  happiness  with 
her  gentleness,  her  tenderness,  her  devotion ;  she  had 
well  deserved  to  receive  the  crown  from  his  hands. 


JOSEPHINE  appeared  to  have  every  wish  sat- 
isfied; her  good  fortune  exceeded  her  wildest 
dreams;  never  had  a  more  wonderful  romance  actu- 
ally happened,  and  yet  the  Empress  of  the  French, 
the  Queen  of  Italy,  was  not  happy.  A  cruel  passion 
which  brings  no  pleasures,  but  only  cruel  sufferings, 
disturbed  her  happiness  and  tormented  her  heart. 
This  passion,  jealousy,  which  had  tortured  Napoleon 
in  the  early  days  of  his  wedded  life,  now  Josephine 
in  her  turn  had  to  endure  with  all  its  keen  anguish. 
She  felt  that  for  her,  a  woman  of  forty-one,  to  hold 
fast  the  affections  of  a  man  of  thirty-five,  covered  with 
glory  and  full  of  charm,  was  a  difficult  task ;  but  this  re- 
flection, far  from  consoling  her,  only  disturbed  her  the 
more,  and  she  made  desperate  efforts  to  triumph  in  an 
almost  hopeless  contest.  As  was  said  by  Mademoiselle 
Avrillon,  her  reader,  she  seemed  not  to  understand 
that  if  the  highest  rank  is  a  safeguard  for  a  woman, 
because  few  men  are  bold  enough  to  pursue  her,  the 
same  is  not  true  of  a  sovereign  whose  glory  dazzles 
the  inexperience  of  the  young,  and  whose  slightest 
attention  arouses  coquetry  and  flatters  vanity. 
110 


NAPOLEON'S  GALLANTBIES,  111 

Josephine  had  not  a  moment's  peace.  In  the  hope 
of  pleasing  her,  many  women  of  the  court,  who  were, 
so  to  speak,  on  the  watch  for  the  Emperor's  attentions, 
hastened  to  torture  her  with  their  interested  revela- 
tions. For  several  years  now  her  beauty  had  been 
fading.  Napoleon,  on  the  other  hand,  had  never  been 
better  looking.  His  health,  which  formerly  had 
been  delicate,  had  much  improved.  He  had  grown 
stouter,  and  this  was  very  becoming.  His  head  was 
like  that  of  a  Caesar.  Full  of  self-confidence,  fortu- 
nate, flattered  on  every  side,  at  the  height  of  power, 
he  imagined  that  in  love,  as  in  war,  he  had  but  to 
appear  to  say,  veni^  vidi,  vici^  "  I  came,  I  saw,  I  con- 
quered." Many  of  the  beauties  of  the  time  did  their 
best  to  confirm  him  in  this  good  opinion  of  himself, 
and  as  Madame  de  R^musat  says  of  him,  he  in  his 
court  was  not  unlike  the  Grand  Turk  in  his  harem. 

"  The  Emperor,"  we  read  in  Constant's  Memoirs, 
"used  to  say  that  a  good  man  was  to  be  known  by  the 
way  he  treated  his  wife,  his  children,  and  his  ser- 
vants. He  added  that  immorality  was  the  most  dan- 
gerous vice  a  sovereign  could  have,  because  it  estab- 
lished a  precedent  for  his  subjects.  What  he  meant 
by  immorality,  was  giving  scandalous  publicity  to 
relations  which  should  have  been  kept  secret ;  these 
relations  he  was  by  no  means  disposed  to  refuse  when 
they  presented  themselves  before  him."  The  faith- 
ful valet  de  chambre  goes  on  in  an  attempt  to 
defend  his  master:  "  Others  perhaps  would  have  suc- 
cumbed oftener.     Heaven  forbid  that  I  should  under- 


112       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

take  to  apologize  for  him ;  I  will  even  acknowledge 
that  he  did  not  always  practise  what  he  preached,  but 
it  was  none  the  less  a  good  deal  for  a  sovereign  to 
hide  his  distractions  from  the  public,  to  prevent 
scandal,  and,  what  is  worse  imitation ;  and  from  his 
wife,  to  save  her  pain." 

Napoleon  was  by  no  means  so  indifferent  to  women 
as  he  professed  to  be.  He  was  averse  to  being  ruled 
by  them,  but  he  was  far  from  being  insensible  to 
their  charms.  Opposition  exasperated  him;  all  his 
caprices  found  many  obsequious  allies  ready  to  fur- 
ther his  suit,  and  more  than  one  woman  made  a  deep, 
if  brief,  impression  upon  him.  His  disdain  of  woman 
has,  we  are  sure,  been  much  exaggerated.  At  Saint 
Helena  he  declaimed  against  women,  but  his  remarks 
were  mere  paradoxes,  not  meant  to  be  taken  seri- 
ously. 

Count  Las  Cases,  in  the  Memorial,  reports  these 
remarks  of  the  Emperor  to  the  ladies  who  shared  his 
captivity.  "  We  Occidentals,"  he  said,  with  a  smile 
full  of  malice,  "  have  spoiled  women  by  treating  them 
too  well.  We  have  made  the  mistake  of  raising  them 
almost  to  an  equality  with  ourselves.  The  Orientals 
showed  more  intelligence  and  justice :  they  declared 
they  were  men's  property ;  and,  in  fact,  nature  has 
made  them  our  slaves,  and  it  is  only  by  our  whimsi- 
calness  that  they  presume  to  be  our  sovereigns ;  they 
abuse  their  advantages  to  mislead  and  control  us. 
For  one  who  inspires  us  to  our  good  there  are  a  hun- 
dred who  make  us  do  stupid  things."     Then  he  went 


NAPOLEON'S  GALLANTRIES.  113 

on  to  praise  polygamy  in  a  very  unchivalrous  and 
unsentimental  way,  saying  ironically :  "  What  cause 
of  complaint  do  you  have,  after  all?  Have  we  not 
acknowledged  that  you  have  a  soul?  You  know 
that  there  are  philosophers  who  have  weighed  it. 
Do  you  claim  equality  ?  But  that  is  absurd ;  women 
are  our  property,  we  are  not  theirs ;  for  she  gives  us 
children,  men  give  them  none.  So  she  is  his  prop- 
erty, as  a  fruit>tree  is  a  gardener's  property.  Nothing 
but  a  lack  of  judgment,  of  common  sense,  and  a 
defective  education,  can  make  a  woman  think  that 
she  is  her  husband's  equal.  And  there  is  nothing 
degrading  in  the  difference ;  each  sex  has  its  quali- 
ties and  its  duties :  your  qualities  are  beauty,  grace, 
charm;  your  duties  are  dependence  and  submission." 

Napoleon  was  often  malicious  with  women ;  often 
he  teased  them;  but  at  heart  he  honored  faithful 
wives  and  good  mothers.  His  ideas  were  far  more 
moral  than  those  of  the  men  of  the  Directory,  and  his 
court  was  far  purer  than  that  of  the  kings  of  France. 
We  will  add  that  Josephine  was  the  only  woman  he 
ever  loved  for  a  long  time  and  seriously.  The  others 
appealed  to  his  senses,  not  to  his  heart. 

Fortunately  for  herself,  Josephine  had  a  shallow 
character ;  her  impressions  were  keen,  but  evanescent. 
The  pleasures  of  sovereignty  outweighed  the  griefs. 
She  felt  that  the  crown  was  heavy  at  times,  but  it 
adorned  her  and  kept  her  young ;  and  in  spite  of  the 
jealousy  it  gave  rise  to,  the  court  satisfied  her  vanity 
and  brought  her  sufficient  consolation.     To  the  satis- 


114       COUBT  OF  TBE  EMPUESS  JOSEPHINE. 

faction  of  her  pride  she  found  another  purer  and 
more  lasting  emotion,  which  she  valued  more,  in  the 
opportunity  of  doing  good.  She  had,  besides,  passed 
through  so  many  vicissitudes  in  her  life  that  nothing 
could  surprise  her,  and  her  soul,  accustomed  to  suffer- 
ing, was  prepared  for  the  most  violent  emotions,  the 
most  terrible  anguish.  She  wept  readily,  but  her 
tears  were  soon  dried;  the  rainbow  followed  close 
upon  the  storm,  and  Josephine  would  smile  through 
her  tears. 


XI. 

THE  POPE  AT  THE  TUILEEIES. 

"TTTHILE  Napoleon,  proud  in  the  possession  of  his 
V  V  new  empire,  was  exhibiting  at  the  Tuileries. 
his  vast  power  and  grandeur,  the  same  palace  was  in- 
habited by  a  holy  old  man,  whose  humility  presented 
a  marked  contrast  with  the  conqueror's  haughty 
spirit.  Pius  VII.,  who  was  quartered  in  the  Pavilion 
of  Flora,  led  the  life  of  an  anchorite,  with  all  the 
modesty  and  piety  of  an  old  monk,  fasting  every  day 
as  in  his  convent,  and  edifying  even  the  impious  by 
the  nimbus  that  shone  around  his  pale  and  mystic 
face.  It  was  impossible  to  approach  this  worthy 
Vicar  of  Christ  without  a  filial  feeling  of  tenderness. 
The  crimes  of  the  French  Revolution  —  the  massacre 
or  the  execution  of  the  priests,  the  profanation  of  the  al- 
tars, the  persecutions  and  blasphemies — had  imprinted 
the  stamp  of  melancholy  on  his  face.  It  was  easy  to 
see  that  he  lamented  the  barbarities  of  the  times,  and 
that  his  life  had  been  full  of  anguish.  He  embodied 
all  the  sufferings  of  the  Church.  With  his  ascetic 
air,  his  deep-set  eye,  his  complexion  as  pallid  as  ivory, 
his  white  robes  tinged  with  red,  the  Sovereign  Pontiff 

116 


116       COURT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

had  in  his  whole  person  something  strange  and  im- 
posing. He  occupied  the  apartment  on  the  first  floor 
of  the  Pavilion  of  Flora,  where  Madame  Elisabeth 
had  lived  from  October,  1789,  to  August  10,  1792. 
The  Abbd  Proyart,  the  author  of  the  letter  to  the 
prisoner  of  the  Temple,  came  to  offer  the  Pope  a 
copy  of  this  same  life  of  Madame  Louise  of  France, 
which  he  had  long  since  offered  to  the  sister  of 
Louis  XVI. 

"  I  am  living  here,"  said  Pius  VII.,  "in  the  apart- 
ments of  another  saint."  What  singular  vicissitudes ! 
The  same  place  occupied  in  turn  by  Madame  Elis- 
abeth, the  members  of  the  Committee  of  Public 
Safety,  and  by  the  Vicar  of  Christ  I 

The  Pope  had  been  very  anxious  before  he  started 
for  Paris.  His  fears  were  so  great  that  just  as  he 
was  leaving  Rome,  with  a  presentiment  of  the  cap- 
tivity that  awaited  him,  he  had  left  his  abdication 
in  the  hands  of  Cardinal  Consalvi,  in  case  he  should 
suffer  any  violence  during  his  journey.  It  was  only 
with  trembling  and  prayer  that  he  had  set  foot  on 
the  volcanic  soil  of  France,  which,  from  a  distance, 
seemed  alive  with  impiety  and  terror.  The  unfail- 
ing respect  with  which  he  had  been  treated  had 
comforted  him  somewhat.  Whenever  he  visited  a 
church,  the  Parisians  followed  him  with  mingled 
curiosity,  sympathy,  and  veneration :  they  knelt  to 
him  as  he  passed  them,  and  received  with  all  deco- 
rum his  apostolic  benediction.  Every  day  a  large 
crowd  gathered  under  his  windows.     He  had  found 


THE  POPE  AT  THE  TUILEBIES.  117 

his  rooms  arranged  and  furnished  like  those  he  occu- 
pied at  the  Vatican,  and  he  had  been  very  grateful 
for  this,  which  he  called  a  really  filial  attention. 

General  de  Sdgur,  at  that  time  captain  and  aide  of 
the  Grand  Marshal  of  the  Palace,  was  entrusted  with 
guarding  the  Pope's  person.  He  says  in  his  Memoirs : 
"  The  same  attention  and  respect  was  shown  to  the 
Pope  as  to  the  Emperor  himself.  His  rooms  had  been 
so  arranged  and  furnished  as  to  recall  Rome  so  far 
as  possible,  and  to  suit  his  tastes.  As  for  Napoleon, 
we  all  noticed  his  ever  gentle  and  grateful  gaiety, 
and  his  filial  and  affectionate  deference  to  his  guest. 
When  the  Holy  Father  gave  his  blessing  from  his 
window,  and  more  especially  at  his  audiences  in  the 
gallery  of  the  Louvre,  which  were  always  crowded, 
precautions  were  taken  against  any  outbreak  of  the 
indiscretion  or  levity  to  which  the  French  are  prone. 
We  saw  the  atheist  Lalande  himself  fall  at  the  Pon- 
tiff's feet  and  kiss  his  slipper.  In  the  public  build- 
ings which  the  Pope  honored  with  his  presence  he 
was  received  as  a  sovereign.  No  one  dared  to  betray 
more  curiosity  than  piety ;  and  it  often  happened  to 
me  to  see  this  real  saint,  the  successor  of  the  Apos- 
tles, whose  venerable  face  bore  the  stamp  of  the 
serenest  gentleness,  so  frugal,  simple,  and  austere  for 
himself  alone,  and  so  kindly  indulgent  to  others, 
deeply  moved  by  the  intense  and  holy  impression  he 
made." 

Every  day  the  long  gallery  of  the  Louvre  was 
filled  with  two  rows  of  men  and  women  who  had 


118       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

come  to  ask  his  blessing.  Preceded  by  the  governor 
of  the  Louvre,  and  followed  by  the  Italian  cardinals 
and  nobles  of  his  household,  Pius  VII.  advanced 
slowly  between  the  two  lines  of  the  faithful,  often 
stopping  to  place  his  hand  on  some  child's  head,  to 
say  some  kind  words  to  its  mother,  and  to  offer  his 
ring  to  be  kissed.  One  day,  when  he  was  surrounded 
by  a  crowd  of  prostrate  and  respectful  people,  he  saw 
a  man  whose  worn  face  bore  traces  of  irreligious 
passion,  who  was  moving  away  as  if  to  escape  the 
apostolic  benediction.  The  Holy  Father  approached 
him,  and  said  gently,  "  Do  not  run  away ;  an  old 
man's  blessing  has  never  done  any  one  any  harm." 
This  remark  spread  through  Paris  and  made  a  most 
favorable  impression.  Pius  VII.  was  not  only  re- 
spected, but,  if  we  may  use  the  worldly  phrase,  he 
became  the  fashion.  Dealers  in  rosaries  and  chaplets 
made  much  money  all  that  winter.  In  January  alone 
a  shopkeeper  in  the  rue  Saint  Denis  who  sold  those 
articles  is  said  to  have  cleared  forty  thousand  francs. 
All  who  approached  the  Pope  had  chaplets  blessed 
for  themselves,  their  relatives,  and  friends  in  Paris 
and  the  provinces.  "  The  prolonged  stay  of  the  Holy 
Father,"  says  Bourrienne,  "was  not  without  influ- 
ence in  the  return  to  religious  ideas,  so  great  was 
the  respect  inspired  by  the  Pope's  gentle  appearance 
and  kindly  manners.  When  the  time  came  for  him 
to  be  persecuted,  it  would  have  been  desirable  that 
Pius  VII.  had  never  come  to  Paris,  for  it  was  impos- 
sible to  look  upon  him  otherwise  than  as  a  man  whose 
holy  gentleness  was  a  matter  of  notoriety." 


THE  POPE  AT  THE  TUILERIES,  119 

At  Saint  Helena,  Napoleon  spoke  thus  of  this  ven- 
erable Pope :  "  He  was  really  a  lamb,  a  thoroughly 
good  and  upright  man,  whom  I  greatly  esteem  and 
love,  and  who,  I  am  sure,  does  not  wholly  hate  me." 

It  has  been  asserted  that  the  Pope  made  such  an 
impression  in  Paris  that  the  Emperor  felt  for  the 
august  old  man  a  sort  of  secret  jealousy.  But  even 
granting,  what  is  by  no  means  certain,  that  he  suf- 
fered from  this,  he  had  at  least  skill  to  conceal  it. 
Always  the  Pope  was  overwhelmed  with  flattering 
attentions.  The  President  of  the  Legislative  Body, 
M.  de  Fontanes,  said  to  him  November  30,  1804: 
"  Everything  else  has  changed ;  religion  alone  knows 
no  change.  It  sees  the  families  of  kings,  and  those  of 
subjects,  perish ;  but  resting  on  the  ruins  of  thrones, 
it  ever  admires  the  successive  manifestations  of  the 
eternal  designs  and  obeys  them  with  confidence. 
Never  has  the  universe  beheld  a  more  imposing 
sight,  never  have  its  people  received  more  important 
lessons.  This  is  no  longer  the  time  of  rivalry  between 
the  priesthood  and  the  Empire.  They  have  joined 
hands  to  repel  the  fatal  doctrines  which  threatened 
Europe  with  total  overthrow.  May  they  yield  forever 
to  the  double  influence  of  politics  and  religion  com- 
bined! Doubtless  this  wish  will  not  be  disappointed; 
never  in  France  has  there  been  so  great  a  genius  to 
control  its  policy,  and  never  has  the  pontifical  throne 
presented  to  the  Christian  world  a  more  worthy  and 
more  touching  model."  The  Moniteur,  in  its  report 
of  the  coronation,  spoke  with  the  same  o£&cial  enthu- 


120       COUBT  OF  THE  JEMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

eiasm  "  of  the  most  venerable  apostolic  virtues  and  of 
the  most  astounding  political  genius  crowned  by  the 
highest  destinies."  David,  the  artist,  once  a  member 
of  the  Convention  and  a  regicide,  then  an  Imperial- 
ist, painted  the  portrait  of  Pius  VII.,  and  the  Moni" 
teur,  in  its  number  of  March  30,  1805,  thus  praised 
the  picture  and  the  sitter :  "  A  large  crowd  gathered 
in  the  gallery  of  the  Senate,  to  see  the  portrait  of  His 
Holiness  by  M.  David,  member  of  the  Institute  and 
first  painter  to  the  Emperor.  This  portrait  is  in  every 
way  worthy  of  the  master's  reputation.  If  the  first 
essential  in  a  portrait  is  an  exact  likeness,  this  one 
possesses  it  to  a  very  high  degree.  The  head,  which 
is  admirably  painted,  expresses  the  indulgent  and 
wise  character,  the  gentleness  and  reasonableness, 
that  are  so  conspicuous  in  the  model;  the  eyes  an 
expression,  affectionate  and  paternal ;  the  expression 
of  the  mouth  is  most  striking ;  one  feels  that  it  can 
utter  only  words  of  peace,  consolation,  and  truth." 

Josephine  had  for  Pius  VII.  a  feeling  of  veneration 
full  of  gratitude.  She  was  most  grateful  to  him  for 
having  persuaded  Napoleon  to  have  the  religious 
marriage  for  which  she  had  long  yearned.  She,  who 
had  preserved  her  faith  in  the  midst  of  an  irreligious 
society,  was  happy  to  inhabit  the  same  palace,  to  live 
under  the  same  roof,  with  the  Vicar  of  Christ,  and 
firmly  hoped  thereby  to  secure  good  fortune  for  her- 
self and  her  husband.  For  his  part,  Pius  VII.  appre- 
ciated Josephine's  good  qualities,  especially  her  char- 
ity :  he  treated  her  as  an  indulgent  father  treats  his 
child. 


THE  POPE  AT  THE  TUILEBIE8.  121 

The  second  son  of  Louis  Bonaparte  and  Hortense 
de  Beauharnais  was  baptized  bj  the  Pope  himself  at 
Saint  Cloud,  March  27,  1805.  The  ceremony  was 
most  impressive.  Eight  Imperial  carriages  conveyed 
thither  Pius  VII.  and  his  suite.  The  gallery  of  the 
palace  had  been  turned  into  a  chapel.  In  one  of  the 
Empress's  drawing-rooms  had  been  placed,  on  a  plat- 
form, beneath  a  canopy,  a  bed  without  posts.  On  the 
foot  of  the  bed  had  been  spread  a  large  cloak  lined 
with  ermine,  to  cover  the  child.  In  the  same  room 
were  two  tables  on  which  were  placed  what  were 
called  the  child's  honors;  that  is  to  say,  the  candle, 
the  chrisom-cap,  and  the  salt-cellar,  and  the  honors  of 
the  godfather  and  godmother,  —  the  basin,  the  ewer, 
and  the  napkin.  The  towel  was  placed  on  a  square  of 
golden  broGc.de,  and  all  the  other  tilings,  except  tl:3 
candle,  on  a  gold  tray.  Preceded  by  the  Grand  Mas- 
ter of  Ceremonies,  and  followed  by  a  colonel-general  of 
the  Guard,'  by  the  Grand  Almoner,  the  Grand  Cham- 
berlain, and  the  Master  of  the  Hounds,  the  Emperor, 
who  was  godfather,  and  the  godmother,  Madana 
Bonaparte,  his  mother,  went  to  the  room  where  the 
ceremony  was  to  be  performed.  The  child  was  un- 
covered by  Madame  de  Villeneuve,  Maid  of  Honor 
to  Princess  Louis  Bonaparte,  and  by  Madame  de 
Boubers,  who  was  serving  as  governess.  The  first 
one  lifted  up  the  baby  and  handed  him  to  the  god- 
father, who  gave  him  to  Madame  de  Boubers  to  carry 
to  the  font.  The  Grand  Master  of  Ceremonies 
handed  the  salt-cellar  to  Madame  de  Bouilld,  the 


122       COUBT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

chrisom-cap  to  Madame  de  Montalivet,  the  candle  to 
Madame  Lannes,  the  towel  to  Madame  de  Sdrant,  the 
ewer  to  Madame  Savary,  the  basin  to  Madame  de 
Talhouet.  Then  they  went  to  the  gallery,  which  had 
been  turned  into  a  chapel.  Mesdames  Bernadotte, 
Bessi^res,  Davout,  and  Mortier  held  the  corners  of  the 
Empress's  cloak.  The  godmother  was  at  the  Emper- 
or's left.  After  the  baptism  the  child  was  carried 
back  to  his  room  with  the  same  procession. 

That  evening  Athalie  was  given,  with  choruses, 
at  the  court  theatre.  The  company  on  their  way 
thither  passed  through  the  orange  house,  which  was 
aglow  with  colored  lanterns. 

.All  day  the  park  of  Saint  Cloud  had  been  open  to 
the  public ;  the  fountains  had  been  playing ;  shows 
of  all  sorts  amused  the  crowd ;  the  road  to  Paris  was 
crowded  with  carriages  and  foot-passengers.  In  the 
evening  there  were  fireworks ;  the  palace  and  gardens 
were  illuminated ;  there  were  bands  playing,  and  rus- 
tic balls. 

The  Pope,  who  had  reached  Paris  November  28, 
1804,  left  April  4,  1805,  just  when  the  Emperor  was 
starting  for  Italy,  there  to  be  crowned  at  Milan. 
Pius  VII.  had  received  some  magnificent  presents 
from  the  Emperor:  a  gold  altar  with  chandeliers, 
and  the  sacred  vessels  of  rich  workmanship,  a  superb 
tiara,  some  gobelin  tapestries,  carpets  from  the  Savon- 
nerie,  and  a  statue  of  Napoleon  in  Sevres  ware.  The 
Empress  had  given  him  a  valuable  vase  decorated  by 
the  best  artists.     The  Moniteur  thus  announced  the 


THE  POPE  AT  THE  TUILEBIES.  123 

Pope's  departure:  "To-day,  April  4,  at  half-past 
cwelve,  His  Holiness  left  Paris  with  the  prelates  and 
others  of  his  suite.  A  crowd  of  both  sexes  and  all 
ages  assembled  on  the  way  he  was  to  pass  through, 
and  received  the  Sovereign  Pontiffs  blessing;  once 
more  he  was  the  object  of  expressions  of  the  deepest 
veneration,  and  plainly  manifested  the  emotions  which 
these  expressions  called  forth." 

Yet  Pius  VII.  was  not  wholly  satisfied  with  his 
journey.  He  had  received  much  homage,  but  he  had 
not  secured  any  real  political  concessions  of  any  im- 
portance. He  had  been  imable  to  settle  the  impor- 
tant matter  of  the  organic  statutes,  and  nothing  had 
been  done  about  the  restoration  of  the  legation  on 
which  he  was  so  warmly  set.  Besides,  he  was  much 
annoyed  that  he  had  not  himself  crowned  Napoleon, 
as  the  Popes,  his  predecessors,  had  crowned  emperors 
and  kings.  He,  who  later  was  to  be  a  prisoner  at 
Fontainebleau,  went  away  distressed  about  the  pres- 
ent, anxious  for  the  future,  and  wondering  whether 
his  host  might  not  say,  with  Voltaire,  "It  is  all  very 
well  to  kiss  the  Popes'  feet,  but  it  is  better  to  have 
their  hands  tied  first." 


XIL 

THE  JOUENEY  IN  ITALY. 

THE  Pope  had  left  Paris  to  return  to  Rome  April 
4, 1805.  At  almost  the  same  time  the  Emperor 
and  Empress  had  started  from  Fontainebleau  to  go 
to  Milan,  where  Napoleon  was  to  be  crowned  King  of 
Italy.  The  code  of  etiquette  that  prevailed  at  the 
Tuileries  was  observed  on  journeys.  The  house  in 
which  the  Emperor  lodged  at  any  stopping-place  was 
the  place  where  all  who  accompanied  him  were  to 
meet.  A  great  placard  on  which  were  written  all  the 
names,  and  where  they  were  to  be  quartered,  was 
pasted  on  the  front  door.  In  the  villages  where 
Napoleon  spent  but  one  night  he  received  the  local 
authorities,  either  before  or  after  dinner.  In  the 
towns  where  he  spent  more  than  one  day,  after  he 
had  eaten  his  breakfast  and  held  his  receptions,  he 
rode  out  to  visit  the  fortifications  and  monuments. 
The  evenings  were  generally  taken  up  by  the  enter- 
tainments offered  him. 

The  Emperor  and  Empress  reached  Troyes  April 
2.    A  letter  dated  the  3d  was  printed  in  the  Moni- 
teur.    It  said:    "Everywhere  the  presence  of  the 
124 


THE  JOURNEY  IN  ITALY.  125 

Emperor  has  evoked  the  liveliest  applause ;  the  peo- 
ple seem  astonished  to  see  him  wearing  such  a  modest 
uniform,  and  conspicuous,  in  the  midst  of  his  court, 
by  the  plainness  of  his  dress.  The  people  of  this  de- 
partment exhibit  this  joy  all  the  more  because  it  is 
here  that  was  brought  up  the  man  who  was  destined 
to  raise  France  to  the  highest  glory  and  prosperity. 
It  is  at  Brienne  that  the  Emperor  received  his  earliest 
instruction.  His  Majesty,  being  anxious  to  revisit 
the  places  that  recall  these  agreeable  memories,  started 
at  two  o'clock  to-day  for  Brienne." 

On  the  steps  of  the  castle  in  this  town  Napoleon 
found  Madame  de  Brienne  and  Madame  de  Lom^nie, 
who  had  been  the  guardians  of  his  childhood.  He 
treated  them  with  the  greatest  respect,  and  took 
pleasure  in  recalling  happy  and  touching  memories 
of  the  past.  He  recalled  many  anecdotes,  and  told 
them  in  his  usual  vivid,  picturesque  way.  He  ac- 
cepted their  invitation  to  dinner,  played  cards  with 
them,  and  having  found  out  their  usual  time  of 
going  to  bed,  asked  to  be  shown  at  that  hour  to  the 
room  which  had  been  prepared  for  him  at  his  request. 
At  dawn  the  next  morning  he  went  alone,  without 
escort,  to  see  some  of  his  old  walks  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. He  remembered  a  hut  where  he  and  his  com- 
panions used  to  lunch,  and  recognizing  the  wood  in 
which  it  was,  he  rode  through  the  shady  path  that 
led  to  it. 

It  belonged  to  a  woman  who  in  old  times  used  to 
serve  nuts,  cheese,  and  brownbread  to  the  schoolboy 


126       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS    JOSEPHINE. 

of  Brienne,  the  future  Emperor.  He  was  delighted 
to  see  her  once  more,  and  asked  her  for  the  same 
repast  which  had  formerly  been  his  delight.  At 
first  the  poor  woman  did  not  recognize  the  stran- 
ger; but  gradually  he  refreshed  her  memory  by 
recalling  many  incidents  of  the  past.  Then  she 
understood  that  she  was  in  the  presence  of  the  all- 
powerful  Emperor,  and  flung  herself  at  his  feet. 
Napoleon  lifted  her,  and  left  her  a  purse  of  gold, 
promising  as  he  left  to  provide  for  her  old  age. 

The  Emperor  and  Empress  arrived  at  Lyons  April 
10.  A  quarter  of  a  league  from  the  city,  on  the 
Boucle  road,  stood  a  triumphal  arch,  on  the  top  of 
which,  as  in  the  reign  of  Augustus,  was  perched  an 
eagle  supporting  the  conqueror's  bust.  On  the  two 
side  doors  were  two  bas-reliefs,  one  representing  the 
union  of  the  Empire  and  Liberty;  the  other,  Wis- 
dom, in  the  figure  of  Minerva  distributing  crosses  of 
honor  to  soldiers,  artists,  and  scholars.  On  these  two 
bas-reliefs  were  statues  of  the  Rhone  and  the  Seine. 
At  the  top  of  the  arch  was  a  flattering  inscription 
in  verse. 

April  12,  the  Empress  held  a  reception.  The 
Bulletin  of  Lyons  thus  described  it :  "  The  assembly 
was  most  brilliant.  As  our  sovereign  has  exhibited  m 
his  audiences  profundity,  affability,  exact  and  varied 
learning,  and  true  greatness,  so  his  august  wife  has 
shone  with  grace,  courtesy,  and  gentleness.  Thus 
we  witness  a  revival  of  that  old  French  urbanity 
and  politeness  of  manners  which  have  always  dis- 


THE  JOURNEY  IN  ITALY.  127 

tinguislied  our  court,  and  have  made  it  an  example 
and  an  object  of  admiration  for  all  foreign  courts." 

The  city  offered  Napoleon  and  Josephine  an  enter- 
tainment at  the  Grand  Theatre.  The  back-scene 
represented  the  Emperor,  seated,  clad  in  a  long  tri- 
umphal robe.  Two  allegoric  figures,  representing, 
one,  France,  the  other,  Italy,  with  their  feet  resting 
on  clouds,  held  in  their  hands  a  roll  bearing  this 
inscription :  Suhlimi  feriam  sidera  vertice,  "  I  shall 
strike  the  stars  with  my  lofty  head  " ;  with  the  other, 
they  each  offered  a  crown  to  Napoleon.  Thus  did 
flattery  renew  the  apotheoses  of  the  Caesars  of  ancient 
Rome. 

There  was  sung  a  cantata  entitled  OssiarCs  Dream. 
The  young  men  of  the  National  Guard  of  Lyons  and 
the  leading  ladies  of  the  city  waltzed  before  the 
throne.  Two  young  girls  held  each  a  basket  into 
which  the  dancers  threw  flowers  as  they  passed  by ; 
out  of  these  flowers  the  girls  wove  two  crowns  which, 
after  the  dance,  they  presented  to  the  Emperor  and 
Empress. 

April  29,  Napoleon  and  Josephine  were  present  at 
a  grand  performance  at  the  Grand  Theatre  in  Turin. 
They  stayed  at  the  castle  of  Stupinizi,  just  outside  of 
the  city,  where  they  bade  farewell  to  Pius  VII.,  who 
had  celebrated  the  Easter  festival  at  Lyons,  and  was 
on  his  way  to  Rome. 

The  Emperor  and  the  Empress  reached  Alessandria 
May  2,  at  ten  in  the  morning,  amid  the  roar  of  can- 
non and  the  ringing  of  church-bells.     Napoleon  spent 


128       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

the  day  in  revisiting  the  battle-field  of  Marengo, 
where  he  gave  the  Empress  a  mimic  representation 
of  the  battle  he  had  won  five  years  before.  From  a 
throne  he  watched  the  manoeuvres  executed  under  the 
command  of  Murat,  Lannes,  and  Bessi^res.  He  had 
had  the  coat  and  hat  he  wore  on  the  day  of  the 
battle  brought  from  Paris.  The  coat  was  somewhat 
moth-eaten,  and  the  odd  hat  would  have  seemed  very 
much  out  of  date  if  it  had  not  recalled  such  precious 
memories.  But  Napoleon  liked  to  recall  that  event- 
ful day  when  he  had  managed  to  grasp  victory  when 
apparently  beaten.  After  the  manoeuvres  he  sol- 
emnly laid  the  corner-stone  of  a  monument  to  the 
memory  of  Desaix  and  the  other  brave  men  who  fell 
at  Marengo. 

At  Alessandria,  the  next  day,  he  had  an  interview 
with  his  brother  Jerome,  which  in  fact  was  a  recon- 
ciliation. In  1803,  after  the  breaking  of  the  Peace  of 
Amiens,  Jerome  Bonaparte,  who  then,  a  young  man 
of  twenty,  was  in  the  naval  service,  happened  to  be 
forced  by  an  English  cruiser  to  land  in  the  United 
States.  There  he  had  fallen  in  love  with  the  young 
and  charming  daughter  of  a  rich  merchant  of  Balti- 
more, Miss  Elisabeth  Paterson,  and  he  married  her. 
Napoleon  was  unwilling  to  recognize  this  marriage. 
No  sooner  had  he  ascended  the  throne  than  he  at 
once  exhibited  all  the  feeling  and  prejudices  of  a 
monarch  who  belonged  to  a  dynasty  of  the  most 
venerable  antiquity.  He  really  believed  that  his 
brothers  could  marry  only  princesses,  and  that  any 
other  marriage  was  an  unpardonable  mesalliance. 


THE  JOURNEY  IN  ITALY.  129 

If,  possibly,  Napoleon  was  able  to  condemn  Lu- 
cien's  wife  for  her  past  conduct,  no  such  criticism 
could  apply  to  the  wife  of  Jerome,  who  was  a  young 
woman  of  conspicuous  morality,  intelligence,  and 
amiability.  But  she  was  the  daughter  of  a  ship- 
owner, a  merchant,  and  thus  was  not  a  proper  match, 
he  thought,  for  the  brother  of  the  powerful  monarch 
who  was  already  dreaming  of  restoring  the  vassal 
kingdoms  and  the  whole  vast  imperial  edifice  of 
Charlemagne.  He,  the  Emperor  of  the  French, 
the  King  of  Italy,  did  not  like  to  remember  that  he 
had  wedded  a  simple  subject,  and  that  he  had  been 
very  proud  of  his  marriage.  He  could  not  pardon  his 
brother  Jerome  for  making  a  love-match.  He  would 
not  even  listen  to  his  defence  of  his  young  wife,  soon 
to  be  a  mother,  and  who  deserved  only  respect  and 
pity,  and  who,  humiliated,  abandoned,  and  broken- 
hearted, was  about  to  be  treated  as  a  concubine,  and 
driven  away  forever.  Ambition  had  destroyed  Napo- 
leon's natural  kindliness.  Yet,  if  he  had  seen  Jerome's 
wife,  a  devoted  and  interesting  woman,  warmly 
attached  to  her  husband,  and  alive  to  her  duties, 
probably  he  would  have  taken  pity  on  her.  Possibly 
he  was  himself  aware  of  this,  for  he  forbade  the 
unhappy  young  woman  to  enter  any  part  of  the 
Empire,  and  compelled  this  innocent  victim  of  politi- 
cal considerations  to  take  refuge  in  England,  as  if  she 
were  a  criminal. 

February  22,  1805,  Napoleon  had  compelled  his 
mother,  Madame  Letitia,  to  jjlace  in  the  hands  of  a 


130       COURT  OF  TBE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

notary,  Raguideau,  a  protest  against  Jerome's  mar- 
riage, on  the  pretext  that  he,  having  been  born  No- 
vember 15,  1784,  was  not  yet  twenty  at  the  date  of 
his  marriage,  and  according  to  the  law  of  September 
20,  1792,  a  marriage  contracted  by  any  one  under 
twenty  without  the  consent  of  his  father  and  mother 
was  null  and  void.  The  Moniteur  of  the  13th  Ven- 
tose,  Year  XIII.  (March  4,  1805),  had  contained  the 
following  lines :  "  11th  Ventose.  By  an  act  dated 
to-day,  all  the  civil  officers  of  the  Empire  are  forbid- 
den to  receive  on  their  registers  a  copy  of  the  certifi- 
cate of  an  alleged  marriage  contracted  by  M.  Jerome 
Bonaparte  in  a  foreign  country,  when  under  age,  and 
without  his  mother's  consent,  and  without  previous 
publication  in  the  place  where  he  is  domiciled."  A 
few  days  later  this  appeared  in  the  Moniteur :  "  M. 
Jerome  Bonaparte  has  arrived  at  Lisbon  in  an  Ameri- 
can ship ;  in  the  passenger  list  were  the  names  of  Mr. 
and  Miss  Paterson.  M.  Jerome  at  once  took  port  for 
Madrid.  Mr.  and  Miss  Paterson  have  re-embarked. 
They  are  supposed  to  be  returning  to  America." 

Jerome,  in  obedience  to  the  Emperor's  orders, 
started  from  Portugal  for  Italy,  posting  day  and 
night  at  full  speed,  through  Badajoz,  Madrid,  Perpig- 
nan,  and  Grenoble.  He  says  in  his  Memoirs :  "Amid 
the  mountains  of  Estremadura,  his  modest  carriage 
encountered  the  almost  royal  train  of  the  French 
Ambassador  to  Portugal.  It  was  Junot  whom  he 
had  left  a  simple  aide-de-camp  of  the  First  Consul, 
and  saw  again  one  of  the  first  personages   of  the 


THE  JOXJBNET  IN  ITALY.  18l 

Empire.  Madame  Junot,  an  old  friend  from  childhood 
of  Jerome,  was  with  her  husband.  This  interview 
was  a  most  interesting  one,  partly  from  the  deserted 
spot  where  they  met,  and  partly  from  the  great 
events  that  had  occurred  since  their  separation." 

Junot  and  liis  wife  found  Jerome  much  improved. 
He  had  become  more  serious ;  a  certain  gravity  had 
taken  the  place  of  his  youthful  bubbling  high  spirits. 
He  spoke  with  emotion,  respect,  and  affection  of  his 
young  wife  whose  pathetic  situation  was  made  even 
more  disturbing  by  the  state  of  her  health.  He  pro- 
posed to  throw  himself  at  his  brother's  feet,  and  by 
prayers  and  supplications  to  wring  from  him  the 
consent  he  desired.  "  No  one  can  doubt,"  he  says 
in  his  Memoirs,  "that  his  heart  was  torn  by  the 
keenest  agitations,  to  say  nothing  of  the  anxiety 
about  his  wife ;  the  mortification  at  two  years  of 
inactivity,  during  which  his  comrades,  friends,  and 
relatives  had  worked,  fought,  and  become  great ;  the 
regret  for  the  lofty  position  he  had  lost ;  the  hope  of 
regaining  it ;  his  fear  of  his  brother's  wrath  which  he 
had  ventured  to  arouse,  and  which  made  kings  trem- 
ble on  their  thrones." 

Napoleon  was  to  be  inflexible ;  he  refused  to  admit 
that  his  brothers  could  be  anything  but  members  af  the 
dynasty,  future  sovereigns.  It  was  then  that  accord- 
ing to  Miot  de  M^lito,  he  said :  "  What  I  have  accom- 
plished so  far  is  nothing.  There  will  be  no  peace  in 
Europe  until  it  is  under  a  single  head,  an  Emperor, 
who  shall  have  his  officers  for  kings  and  divide  the 


132       COURT  OF  THE  JBMPBES8  JOSEPHINE. 

kingdoms  among  his  lieutenants ;  who  shall  make  one 
King  of  Italy,  another  King  of  Bavaria,  one  Lande- 
mann  of  Switzerland,  another  Stadtholder  of  Hol- 
land, and  all  with  high  positions  in  the  Imperial 
household,  mth  titles  as  Grand  Cupbearer,  Grand 
Master  of  the  Pantry,  Grand  Equerry,  Grand  Master 
of  the  Hounds,  etc.  It  will  be  said  that  this  plan  is 
only  an  imitation  of  that  on  which  the  German  Em- 
pire is  established,  and  that  these  ideas  are  not  new ; 
but  nothing  is  absolutely  new ;  political  institutions 
only  revolve  in  a  circle,  and  what  has  happened 
necessarily  recurs."  A  man  with  such  aspirations 
and  so  near  to  realizing  them,  could  not  endure  the 
idea  of  being  the  brother-in-law  of  a  simple  ship- 
owner. 

Jerome  arrived  at  Turin,  April  24, 1805.  Napoleon 
was  then  at  Alessandria.  Eleven  days  passed  before 
the  brothers  met.  The  Emperor  had  announced  his 
decision.  He  was  absolutely  determined  not  to  meet 
Jerome  until  he  had  made  perfect  submission.  The 
unhappy  youth  still  ventured  to  hope  against  hope, 
but  soon  he  had  to  recognize  his  mistake.  Then  his 
heart  and  soul  were  torn  by  a  hot  conflict :  on  one 
side  were  his  love  for  his  wife,  family  feeling,  the 
thought  of  the  child  that  was  soon  to  be  born,  his 
respect  for  marriage  and  for  his  vows ;  on  the  other, 
ambition,  love  of  power,  the  visions  of  the  kingdoms 
that  he  might  rule ;  on  one  side,  the  smiles  and  tears 
of  the  woman  he  loved ;  on  the  other,  the  influence 
and  glory  of  the  genius  who  filled  the  earth  with  his 


THE  JOURNEY  IN  ITALY.  183 

fame,  and  always  exercised  a  powerful  fascination. 
Jerome,  who  was  less  sentimental  and  less  proud  than 
Lucien,  at  last  yielded  to  his  terrible  brother,  and 
condemned  himself  out  of  ambition  never  to  see 
again  the  woman  whom  he  loved  and  cherished. 
May  6th  he  went  to  Alessandiia,  having  first  sent  a 
letter  of  submission  to  the  Emperor.  Napoleon  be- 
fore receiving  him,  replied  to  it  in  these  terms :  — 

"  Alessandria,  May  6, 1805.  My  Brother  :  Your 
letter  of  this  morning  informs  me  of  your  arrival  at 
Alessandria.  There  is  no  fault  which  cannot  be 
effaced  in  my  eyes  by  repentance.  Your  marriage 
with  Miss  Paterson  is  null  in  the  eyes  of  both  re- 
ligion and  law.  Write  to  Miss  Paterson  to  return  to 
America.  I  will  grant  her  a  pension  of  sixty  thou- 
sand francs  for  life,  on  condition  that  she  shall  never 
bear  my  name,  a  right  which  does  not  belong  to  her  in 
the  non-existence  of  the  marriage.  You  must  tell  her 
that  you  could  not  and  cannot  change  the  nature  of 
things.  When  your  marriage  is  thus  annulled  by 
your  own  will,  I  will  restore  to  you  my  friendship, 
and  resume  the  feelings  I  have  had  for  you  since  your 
infancy,  hoping  that  you  will  show  yourself  worthy 
of  them  by  the  efforts  you  will  make  to  win  my  grati- 
tude and  to  acquire  distinction  in  the  army." 

A  few  days  later  Napoleon  wrote  to  the  Minister  of 
the  Navy :  "  M.  D^crds,  M.  Jerome  has  arrived.  He 
has  confessed  his  errors  and  disavows  this  person  as 
his  wife.  He  promises  to  do  wonders.  Meanwhile  I 
have  sent  him  to  Genoa  for  some  time." 


1B4       COURT  OF  TEE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

After  his  reconciliation  with  Jerome,  Napoleon 
went  to  Pavia,  where  the  magistrates  presented  to 
him  the  homage  of  his  new  capital,  and  he  entered 
that  city,  with  the  Empress,  May  8,  amid  the  roar  of 
cannon  and  the  ringing  of  bells. 


XIII. 

THE  CORONATION  AT  MILAN. 

BY  descent,  by  his  physical,  moral,  and  intellec- 
tual nature,  by  his  imagination  and  genius, 
Napoleon  was  much  more  an  Italian  than  a  French- 
man. His  father  and  mother  were  Italians,  his  ances- 
tors were  Italian,  and  Italian  was  his  mother-tongue. 
His  family  and  Christian  names  were  Italian.  His 
mother  spoke  French  with  the  strongest  Italian 
accent.  He  had  loved  Corsica  before  he  loved 
France.  As  a  child,  he  had  felt  the  greatest  enthu- 
siasm for  Paoli,  the  Corsican  patriot,  and  had  then 
looked  upon  the  French  as  foreigners  and  oppressors. 
His  face  not  only  resembled  that  of  an  Italian,  but 
that  of  an  ancient  Roman.  By  a  singular  coinci- 
dence, he  had  the  head  of  a  Caesar.  Italy  was  not 
only  the  home  of  his  family,  it  was  there  that  he  laid 
the  foundations  of  his  glory.  That  unrivalled  coun- 
try, as  one  of  our  poets  calls  it,  had  brought  him  good 
fortime.  There  he  wrote  the  famous  bulletins  of  his 
first  victories ;  there  he  began  to  impress  the  popular 
imagination ;  and  it  was  through  Italy  that  he  subju- 
gated France.   There  he  felt  at  home.    The  people  of 

136 


136       COUET  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE, 

that  peninsula  greeted  him  as  a  fellow-conntiyman. 
He  liked  to  speak  their  language  to  them,  charmed 
by  its  harmony  and  sincerity.  His  Southern  genius 
rejoiced  in  its  bright  skies  which  lent  everything  such 
lustre,  and  well  suited  the  conqueror's  thoughts.  He 
perhaps  preferred  Milan  to  Paris  as  a  place  to  live  in. 

His  formal  entrance  into  the  capital  of  his  king- 
dom of  Italy  had  been  skilfully  arranged.  Cardinal 
Caprara,  the  Archbishop  of  that  city,  had  great  influ- 
ence there,  and  he  was  never  tired  of  speaking  to  his 
flock  about  the  services  Napoleon  had  rendered  to 
the  Catholic  religion.  The  Grand  Master  of  Cere- 
monies, M.  de  S^gur,  who  reached  Milan  a  few  days 
before  the  Emperor,  charmed  the  best  society  of 
Lombardy  by  his  pleasant  wit  and  delightful  man- 
ners, and  induced  the  most  illustrious  families  to 
solicit  the  honor  of  figuring  among  the  ladies  and 
officers  in  waiting  at  the  palace  of  the  King  and 
Queen  of  Italy,  as  Napoleon  and  Josephine  were 
called  at  Milan. 

The  first  visit  which  the  King  and  Queen  made 
in  this  capital  was  to  the  famous  Cathedral.  There 
they  fell  on  their  knees,  and  the  Milanese  were  much 
touched  by  the  spectacle.  The  Italian  Journal^  in 
its  official  account  of  Napoleon's  entrance  into  Milan, 
uttered  these  dithyrambics :  "It  is  impossible  to 
imagine  a  more  brilliant  day  than  that  which  yester- 
day adorned  our  capital,  when  Bonaparte,  the  hero  of 
the  age,  our  adored  monarch,  entered  within  our 
walls.     This  day  will  be  forever  memorable  in  the 


THE  CORONATION  AT  MILAN.  137 

■  '  .      ,       - .  « 

chronicles  of  our  history.  Milan  saw  entering  its 
gates,  bearing  the  proud  name  of  King,  the  same 
hero  who  had  already  been  proclaimed  conqueror, 
liberator,  peace-maker,  and  legislator,  and  who  to-day, 
under  his  august  Empire,  assures  that  greatness  to 
which  his  victories  and  his  genius  permit  us  to  aspire. 
The  Emperor  entered  by  the  gate  named  after  his 
most  glorious  triumph,  the  Marengo  Gate." 

On  reaching  Milan,  Napoleon  exchanged  the  deco- 
rations of  the  Legion  of  Honor  for  the  oldest  orders 
of  chivalry  in  Europe.  He  received  from  the  Minis- 
ter of  Prussia  the  Black  and  the  Red  Eagle;  from 
the  Spanish  Ambassador,  the  Golden  Fleece ;  from  the 
Ministers  of  Bavaria  and  Portugal,  the  Orders  of 
Saint  Hubert  and  Christ  respectively;  and  he  gave 
them  the  broad  ribbon  of  the  Legion  of  Honor. 
When  he  had  received  besides  foreign  decorations 
for  the  principal  men  of  the  Empire,  he  granted  an 
equal  number  of  his  own.  May  12,  wearing  the 
broad  ribbon  of  the  Black  Eagle,  he  went  with  the 
Empress  to  the  theatre  of  La  Scala  and  saw  the  opera 
of  Castor  and  Pollux.  The  theatre,  which  was  bril- 
liantly lit,  was  crowded  with  the  fair  ladies  of  Milan, 
resplendent  in  full  dress  and  jewels.  The  elegance 
and  splendor  of  these  deservedly  famous  beauties, 
the  brilliant  diversity  of  the  uniforms,  the  sumptu- 
ousness  of  the  Imperial  box,  and  on  the  stage  the 
magnificence  of  the  dresses  and  the  scenery,  the 
skill  of  the  singers,  all  combined  to  make  the  per 
formance   most   memorable.     That   day,  after  mass. 


138       COURT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

Napoleon  had  ridden  out,  and  had  inspected  the 
troops  who  paraded  on  the  Place  of  the  Cathedral. 

The  Empress's  grace  and  affability  aroused  general 
admiration.  At  the  reception  of  the  upper  clergy  of 
Italy,  May  25,  she  was  thus  complimented  by  the 
Archbishop  of  Bergamo :  "  Madame,  If  charity  were 
to  descend  from  heaven  to  relieve  the  woes  of 
humanity,  it  would  seek  no  other  asylum  than  the 
heart  of  a  Queen  adored  by  her  subjects.  The  feel- 
ings of  love,  gratitude,  and  respect  which  animate 
all  your  subjects  are  the  same  that  lead  to  your  feet 
all  the  bishops  of  the  kingdom  of-  Italy.  Happy  to 
find  in  your  august  spouse  sublimity,  glory,  and 
genius,  and  in  you  all  the  charm  of  kindness,  nothing 
is  left  for  them  but  to  pray  for  the  happiness  of  your 
reign,  and  to  offer  thanks  to  heaven  for  having 
united  in  the  souls  of  their  sovereigns  everything 
which  can  make  supreme  power  loved  and  respected." 
This  speech  will  suffice  to  show  to  what  pitch  the 
official  flatteries  were  tuned. 

The  coronation  took  place  May  26,  in  the  Milan 
Cathedral,  which  is  the  largest  church  in  Italy,  with 
the  single  exception  of  Saint  Peter's  in  Rome.  The 
weather  was  magnificent.  From  early  morning  a 
numberless  throng  crowded  the  Place  of  the  Cathe- 
dral, the  court-yards  of  the  palace,  and  the  adjacent 
streets.  Just  as  in  Paris  at  the  coronation,  a  wooden 
gallery  had  been  built,  connecting  the  Archbishop's 
Palace  with  Notre  Dame,  so  here  at  Milan,  a  similar 
gallery  led  from  the  palace  to  the  Cathedral.     The 


THE  CORONATION  AT  MILAN,  189 

interior  of  the  church  was  decorated  with  crimson 
silk  stuffs.  As  at  Notre  Dame,  a  large  throne  had 
been  built  at  the  entrance  to  the  nave,  approached  by 
twenty-five  steps.  Four  gilded  statues,  representing 
victories,  upheld  like  caryatides  the  canopy  above  the 
throne.  The  four  figures  held  in  one  hand  palms; 
in  the  other,  the  green  velvet  mantle  falling  from 
the  royal  crown  above  the  canopy.  The  Cathedral 
was  brilliantly  lit  by  forty  chandeliers  hanging 
from  the  roof,  and  as  many  candelabra  fastened  on 
the  columns. 

Josephine,  who  had  been  crowned  as  Empress  in 
Paris,  was  not  to  be  crowned  at  Milan,  although  she 
bore  the  title  of  Queen  of  Italy.  She  watched  the 
ceremony  from  a  gallery.  At  half-past  eleven  she 
went  to  the  Cathedral,  preceded  by  her  sister-in-law, 
the  Princess  Bacciocchi,  and  was  conducted  beneath 
a  canopy  to  her  gallery,  amid  loud  applause.  At 
noon  the  Emperor  and  I^ng  left  his  palace,  and 
reached  the  Cathedral  through  the  wooden  gallery. 
On  his  arrival  there  incense  was  burned,  and  he  was 
welcomed  by  an  address  from  Cardinal  Caprara,  Arch- 
bishop of  Milan,  at  the  head  of  all  his  clergy.  Pre- 
ceded by  the  ushers,  the  heralds-at-arms,  the  pages, 
the  Grand  Master  and  the  masters  of  ceremonies,  by 
the  seven  ladies  carrying  offerings,  and  by  the  honors 
of  Charlemagne,  of  the  Empire,  and  of  Italy,  he 
appeared  in  most  impressive  pomp.  On  his  head  he 
wore  the  crown ;  he  carried  in  his  hands  the  sceptre, 
and  the  hand  of  justice  of  the  kingdom ;  on  his  back 


140       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

he  wore  the  royal  cloak,  the  skirts  of  which  were  car- 
ried by  the  two  First  Equerries  of  France  and  Italy. 
As  he  entered  the  Cathedral  a  march  of  triumph  was 
played.  He  took  his  seat  on  the  small  throne  in  the 
choir,  having  on  his  right  the  honors  of  Italy,  on  his 
left,  those  of  France.  The  Archbishop  of  Bologna, 
who  held  a  place  at  the  coronation  of  the  King  very 
like  that  of  the  Pope  at  the  crowning  of  the  Emperor, 
carried  to  the  altar  the  iron  crown  of  the  old  Lom- 
bard kings,  and  began  the  mass.  After  the  gradual, 
he  blessed  the  royal  ornaments  in  the  following  order  : 
the  sword,  the  cloak,  the  ring,  the  crown.  Napoleon 
received  from  the  Archbishop's  hands  the  sword,  the 
cloak,  and  the  ring,  but  he  took  himself  the  iron  crown 
from  the  altar,  and  proudly  placing  it  on  his  head, 
exclaimed,  in  a  voice  that  thrilled  all  present :  "  Dio 
me  la  diede^guai  a  chi  la  tocca!'*^  —  "  God  has  given  it 
to  me  ;  woe  to  him  who  touches  it  I "  Then,  having 
replaced  the  iron  crown  on  the  altar,  he  took  the 
crown  of  Italy  and  placed  it  on  his  head,  amid  unan- 
imous applause.  Preceded  by  the  same  officials  who 
had  conducted  him  to  the  chair,  he  walked  down  the 
nave  and  took  his  place  on  the  great  throne  at  the 
other  end  by  the  entrance.  The  first  herald-at-arms 
shouted,  "Napoleon,  Emperor  of  the  French  and 
King  of  Italy,  is  crowned  and  enthroned.  Long  live 
the  Emperor  and  King." 

The  same  day,  at  half-past  four  in  the  afternoon, 
the  King  and  the  Queen  drove  in  a  state  carriage, 
with  a  brilliant  escort,  to  the  church  of  Saint  Am- 


THE  COBONATION  AT  MILAN.  141 

brose,  one  of  the  most  revered  sanctuaries  of  Italy, 
and  there  they  heard  a  Te  Deum  of  thanksgiving. 

Mademoiselle  Avrillon,  Josephine's  reader,  tells  us 
that  Napoleon,  when  he  had  returned  to  the  palace, 
was  full  of  the  wildest  gaiety.  He  rubbed  his  hands, 
and  in  his  good  humor  said  to  the  reader:  "Weill 
Did  you  see  the  ceremony?  Did  you  hear  what  I 
said  when  I  placed  the  crown  on  my  head?"  Then 
he  repeated,  almost  in  the  same  tone  that  he  had  used 
in  the  Cathedral :  "  God  has  given  it  to  me  I  Woe 
to  him  that  touches  it  I "  "I  told  him,"  says  Mad- 
emoiselle Avrillon,  "  that  nothing  that  had  happened 
had  escaped  me.  He  was  very  kind  to  me,  and  I 
often  noticed  that  when  there  was  nothing  to  annoy 
the  Emperor,  he  talked  cheerfully  and  freely  with 
us,  as  if  we  were  his  equals ;  but  whenever  he  spoke 
to  us  he  used  to  ask  questions,  and  in  order  to  avoid 
displeasing  him,  it  was  necessary  to  answer  him 
without  showing  too  much  embarrassment.  Some- 
times he  gave  us  a  pat  on  the  cheek,  or  pinched  our 
ears ;  these  were  favors  not  accorded  every  one,  and 
we  could  judge  of  his  good  humor  by  the  way  they 
hurt  us.  ...  .  Often  he  treated  the  Empress  in  the 
same  way,  with  little  pats  preferably  on  the  shoulders ; 
it  was  no  use  her  saying :  *  Come,  stop,  Bonaparte  I ' 
he  went  on  as  long  as  he  pleased." 

The  Emperor  greatly  enjoyed  his  stay  in  Milan, 
and  breathed  with  rapture  the  incense  burned  in 
abundance  before  him.  The  Italian  Journal  in  its 
account  of    the   coronation    reached  lyric    heights; 


142       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

"The  most  brilliant  day  has  lit  up  Milan;  it  has 
had  no  equal  in  the  past,  and  it  offers  the  happiest 
auguries  for  the  future.  .  .  .  Old  men  themselves, 
accustomed  as  they  are  to  praise  the  past,  have  ex- 
hibited the  liveliest  enthusiasm.  It  was  in  vain  that 
night  struggled  to  draw  its  veil  over  our  city,  it  had 
to  yield  before  the  general  and  magnificent  illumina- 
tion which  brought  out  in  lines  of  fire  the  shape  and 
admirable  form  of  the  Duomo.  Most  of  the  palaces 
and  private  houses  were  covered  with  devices  and 
inscriptions.  The  first  one  of  the  days  consecrated 
to  the  liveliest  national  rejoicing  was  ended  by  a  vast 
exhibition  of  fireworks,  which  were  set  off  on  the 
spot  where  so  many  have  perished  at  the  stake." 

The  next  day  games  were  celebrated,  in  the  manner 
of  the  ancients,  in  a  circus  rivalling  the  Roman  amphi- 
theatres in  size.  This  was  the  occasion  of  a  dithy- 
rambic  outburst  inserted  in  the  Moniteur:  "The 
Italians  have  just  offered  Napoleon  the  same  spectacle 
that  their  ancestors  offered  Marcus  Aurelius  and 
Trajan;  but  the  presence  of  Napoleon  has  called 
forth  more  joy  and  admiration,  because  it  has  aroused 
greater  admiration  and  higher  hopes.  They  were  but 
the  preservers  of  Italian  greatness;  he  is  its  creator 
and  its  father.  In  the  pomp  of  the  games,  amid  the 
tumultuous  applause,  the  immense  mass  of  people 
were  to  be  seen  turning  their  eyes  towards  him  alone, 
as  if  they  were  saying  to  him  :  '  These  festivities  are 
but  feeble  expressions  of  the  gratitude  that  all  Italy 
vows  to  you  for  all  the  good  you  have  done  her ;  and 


THE  CORONATION  AT  MILAN,  148 

since  you  deign  to  accept  it,  since  you  like  to  sit 
among  us  as  our  Prince  and  our  father,  these  festivi- 
ties become  an  augury  to  us  of  still  greater  benefit. 
The  day  will  perhaps  come  when  Italy,  restored  to 
this  new  life,  may  be  able  to  adorn  its  circus  with 
the  monuments  of  its  own  bravery  which  will  also 
be  the  monuments  of  your  glory;  and  Italy,  being 
never  doomed  to  perish,  whatever  great  deeds  may 
be  wrought  by  Italians  in  the  course  of  centuries 
will  be  due  to  the  hero  who  has  recalled  them  to 
life.'  After  the  races  there  was  a  balloon  ascension. 
The  courageous  wife  of  the  aeronaut  Garnerin  ac- 
companied him  and  threw  down  flowers  to  Napoleon 
and  Josephine.  Thus,"  the  Moniteur  goes  on,  "in 
a  single  day,  at  one  show,  the  Italians  have  combined 
the  proudest  pomp  of  the  ancients  and  the  boldest 
invention  of  modem  science,  together  with  the 
presence  of  a  hero  who  excels  both  ancients  and 
modems." 

The  29th  of  May  was  devoted  to  popular  festivities. 
All  the  afternoon  the  public  gardens  were  crowded 
with  musicians,  singers,  mountebanks,  and  pedlars. 
In  the  evening  the  via  della  Riconoscenza,  as  far  as 
the  East  Gate,  was  lit  by  lampstands,  and  at  the  end 
of  a  long  row  there  was  an  eagle  of  fire  holding  on 
his  breast  an  iron  crown. 

Nothing  was  neglected  to  touch  the  national  pride 
of  Italy.  An  article  in  the  Moniteur^  speaking  of  a 
poem  of  Vincenzo  Monti's,  said :  "  What  interest  the 
poet  has  aroused,  in  recalling  the  glorious  titles  of 


144       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRI)SS  JOSEPHINE. 

ancient  Italy,  the  disasters  and  degradation  which 
followed  this  period  of  glory,  in  evoking  the  shades 
of  those  remote  days,  and  after  them,  the  shade  of 
Dante  who,  by  the  wisdom  of  his  maxims,  is  supe- 
rior to  the  poets  of  other  nations;  of  Dante,  the 
most  enthusiastic  admirer  of  the  former  glory  of  the 
Italians,  the  severest  censor  of  the  corruption  into 
which  Italy  had  fallen  in  his  time ;  of  Dante,  whose 
sole  ambition  was  to  prepare  the  new  birth  of 
Italy !  And  how  did  he  prepare  it  ?  By  preaching 
union  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  different  countries  of 
Italy,  and  to  the  public  authorities  the  consecration 
of  power  modified  by  the  laws." 

June  3  Napoleon  and  Josephine  went  to  visit  an 
industrial  and  artistic  exhibition  at  the  Brera.  There 
they  saw  Canova's  Hebe,  and  his  colossal  statue  of 
Clement  XIII.  "  The  desire  of  seeing  and  approach- 
ing the  sovereign,"  says  the  Moniteur^  '*  had  made  the 
crowd  larger.  An  octogenarian  who  had  in  vain  strug- 
gled to  get  to  a  staircase  before  him,  was  huetled  and 
knocked  down  on  the  steps  by  the  eager  multitude. 
The  Empress,  who  was  following,  ran  to  his  aid.  The 
Emperor  turned  back,  questioned  the  old  man,  who 
was  more  disturbed  by  his  joy  than  by  his  fall,  asked 
him  his  name  and  a  memorandum,  and  promised  to 
look  out  for  him.  This  scene  produced  a  deep  im- 
pression, and  Their  Majesties  were  led  back  amid 
universal  applause  and  thanksgivings." 

At  Milan,  Josephine,  who  had  become  Queen  of 
Italy,  inhabited,  with  the  Emperor,  the  magnificent 


THE  CORONATION  AT  MILAN.  145 

Monza  Palace.  But,  perhaps,  in  all  the  splendor  of 
the  highest  point  of  her  good  fortune,  she  regretted 
the  Serbelloni  Palace,  where,  nine  years  before,  she 
exercised  so  beneficent  an  influence  on  her  husband's 
destiny,  and  had  protected  him  with  her  affection, 
as  with  a  talisman.  Doubtless  the  Empress  and 
Queen  would  have  returned  gladly  to  the  time  when 
she  was  called  simply  Citizeness  Bonaparte.  Then, 
instead  of  the  imperial  and  royal  diadem,  she  pos- 
sessed youth,  which  is  better  than  any  crown,  and 
her  husband  gave  her  something  preferable  to  any 
throne  —  his  love  I  There  the  generals  used  to  wear 
less  showy  uniforms,  more  moderate  salaries,  but  they 
were  more  enthusiastic  and  unselfish.  Then  Bona- 
parte's glory  was  less  famous,  but  purer.  When  she 
saw  Milan  again,  after  many  years'  absence,  Josephine 
recalled  all  the  happiness  and  all  the  misery  that  had 
occurred  meanwhile,  all  the  grandeur  and  the  tragedy 
that  had  filled  this  period  so  brief,  but  so  crowded 
with  marvellous  events.  '^ 

There  were  many  happy  memories,  but  also  many 
shadows !  This  look  backward  was  not  without 
melancholy.  When  she  saw  the  approach  of  the 
autumn  of  her  amazing  career,  Josephine  could  not 
think  without  secret  sadness  of  the  splendor  of  its 
summer.  While  her  husband  proudly  enjoyed  his 
satisfied  ambition,  she  dreamed  and  pondered  seri- 
ously. She  desired  once  more  to  see  the  places 
which  recalled  the  pleasantest  memories  of  her  first 
journey :  the  lake  of  Como,  with  the  Villa  Julia  and 


146         CO  XTRT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  J08EPBmE. 

Pliny's  house ;  the  Lago  Maggiore  and  Borromean 
Islands ;  the  palaces  of  the  Isola  Bella  and  the  Isola 
Madre  ;  all  the  enchanting  spots  which  recalled  the 
gracious  memories  of  youth  and  love. 

June  7.  Napoleon  appointed  Eugene  de  Beauhamais 
Viceroy  of  the  Kingdom  of  Italy,  and  three  days 
later  left  Milan  with  Josephine.  In  all  the  principal 
cities  of  the  Empire  his  coronation  had  been  cele- 
brated by  public  rejoicings.  Murat  had  given  a  ball 
at  his  castle  of  Neuilly,  about  which  the  Journal  des 
DShaU  had  said :  "  At  the  same  moment  when  the 
arts  of  ingenious  Italy  were  displaying  all  their  mar- 
vels under  the  eyes  of  Their  Majesties,  French  gal- 
lantry and  gaiety  were  rendering  similar  homage  to 
the  happy  reign  which  had  recalled  them  from  a  long 
exile."  Aix-la-Chapelle  inaugurated  the  statue  of  the 
great  Carlovingian  Emperor  amid  salvos  of  artillery 
and  the  applause  of  the  Germanic  populace,  who  sa- 
luted at  the  same  time  the  names  of  Charlemagne  and 
of  Napoleon. 


XIV. 

THE  FESTIVITIES  AT  GENOA. 

rriHE  Italian  journey  closed  as  brilliantly  as  it 
JL  began.  After  leaving  Milan,  Napoleon  ap- 
proached the  frontiers  of  Austria,  against  which  he 
was  to  fight  before  the  end  of  the  year,  visiting  the 
celebrated  quadrilateral,  consisting  of  the  four  forti- 
fied towns :  Mantua,  Peschiera,  Verona,  and  Legnago. 
He  was  present  at  a  mimic  representation  of  the 
battle  of  Castiglione,  in  which  twenty-five  thousand 
men  took  part  on  the  field  upon  which  that  battle  had 
been  fought;  then  he  went  to  Bologna,  where  the 
charms  of  his  conversation  were  highly  appreciated  by 
the  learned  professors  of  its  university.  While  he  was 
there  a  deputation  from  Lucca  visited  him,  asking 
him  to  take  that  little  country  under  his  protection. 
He  gave  it  for  Prince  and  Princess,  his  brother-in- 
law,  Felix  Bacciocchi,  and  his  sister  Elisa,  to  whom 
he  had  already  entrusted  the  Duchy  of  Piombino. 
Lucca  was  thus  elevated  to  a  hereditary  principality, 
a  dependent  of  the  French  Empire,  which  should 
revert  to  the  French  crown  in  case  the  male  line  of 
the  Bacciocchi  should  become  extinct.     It  was  a  sort 

U7 


148       COVET  OF  THE  EMPBES8  JOSEPHINE. 

of  revival  of  the  old  Germanic  fiefs.  Evidently  the 
memory,  of  Charlemagne  continually  filled  Napoleon's 
thoughts.  Elisa  thenceforth  bore  the  title  of  Prin- 
cess of  Lucca  and  of  Piombino.  She  was  a  well  edu- 
cated and  able  woman,  of  marked  intelligence  and 
strong  will.  M.  de  Tallejrrand  used  to  call  her  "  the 
Semiramis  of  Lucca."  After  Bologna,  Napoleon 
visited  Modena,  Parma,  and  Piacenza.  The  cities 
he  passed  through  rivalled  one  another  in  flattery. 
They  voted  him  medals,  statues,  and  even  a  temple, 
which,  however,  the  demi-god  declined. 

June  30  Napoleon  and  Josephine  arrived  at  Genoa, 
where  they  were  to  stay  till  July  7,  amid  unprece- 
dented festivities  celebrating  the  incorporation  of  the 
old  Republic  with  the  French  Empire.  It  was  a  sin- 
gular sight,  this  enthusiastic  reception  of  a  Corsican 
by  the  Genoese.  While  at  Milan,  the  Emperor  had 
received  M.  Durazzo,  the  last  Doge  of  Genoa,  who 
had  come  to  beg  him  to  permit  the  illustrious  Re- 
public, famous  for  its  historical  splendor,  to  exchange 
its  independence  for  the  honor  of  becoming  a  plain 
French  department.  The  offer  was  accepted.  The 
home  of  Andrea  Doria,  the  city  of  marble  palaces,^ 
that  municipality  once  called  "  the  superb "  had 
begged  as  a  favor  to  be  stricken  from  the  list  of 
independent  states.  It  contented  itself  with  being 
the  principal  town  in  the  twenty-seventh  military 
division,  and  its  doge,  dispossessed  by  his  own  desire, 
went  to  swell  the  number  of  the  Senators  of  the 
Empire.      Napoleon  took  formal  possession  of  his 


THE  FESTIVITIES  AT  G^NOA.  149 

peaceful  conquest,  and  slept  in  the  palace,  and  in 
tlie  bed  of  Charles  V. 

The  night  festivity,  given  in  the  harbor,  July  2, 
was,  in  the  way  of  picturesqueness,  one  of  the  most 
original  and  most  beautiful  ever  seen.  The  sky  was 
clear,  the  sea  calm,  the  crowd  of  spectators  enormous. 
Napoleon  and  Josephine,  going  down  from  the  ter- 
race in  the  garden  of  the  Palazzo  Doria,  entered  a 
large  round  temple,  magnificently  decorated,  which 
was  at  once  set  in  motion  as  if  by  magic,  and  trans- 
ported by  many  oars  to  the  middle  of  the  harbor. 
Four  rafts,  covered  with  shrubbery,  resembling  float- 
ing islands,  then  drew  up  to  the  temple.  The  sover- 
eigns were  thus,  in  open  sea,  enclosed  in  a  vast  gar- 
den with  trees,  flowers,  statues,  and  fountains.  About 
this  garden  of  Armida,  thus  radiant  upon  the  waves, 
were  a  multitude  of  boats,  under  sail  or  propelled  by 
oars,  moving  about,  and  their  lights  resembled  the 
swarms  of  fireflies  that  in  summer  flutter  above  the 
fields  of  Lombardy.  The  mild  temperature  favored 
this  joyous  festival.  The  whole  city,  all  the  build- 
ings, every  vessel,  were  ablaze  with  a  thousand  lights, 
and  the  glassy  sea  reflected  numberless  flames.  The 
darkness  of  night  gave  the  signal  for  the  illumina- 
tions. Magnificent  fireworks  were  set  off  from  the 
mole,  the  jetty,  and  the  ships  lining  the  entrance  of 
the  harbor.  Music  mingled  with  the  joyous  cries  of 
the  multitude.  The  temple  in  which  were  Napoleon 
and  Josephine  was  rowed  back  to  the  terrace  of  the 
Palazzo  Doria  amid  the  applause  of  the  crowd  lining 
the  shore. 


150       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

The  next  day  the  Emperor  and  Empress  were  at  i 
ball  given  in  the  old  Ducal  Palace.  "  The  presence 
of  Their  Majesties  in  this  superb  building,"  says  the 
Moniteur,  "  the  kindness  with  which  they  deigned  to 
speak  to  every  one,  gave  this  festivity  a  touching 
character.  All  who  saw  and  heard  our  sovereigns, 
rejoiced  in  their  new  destinies.  The  concert  was 
followed  by  a  ball,  and  Their  Majesties  stayed 
through  the  several  dances,  leaving  about  midnight. 
Their  path  was  lit  by  numberless  candles.  On  their 
way  they  met  a  multitude,  delighted  even  at  that 
hour,  to  be  able  to  discern  some  of  our  monarch's 
features." 

In  spite  of  all  these  splendid  ceremonies  Josephine, 
though  idolized,  was  not  happy.  "In  general,"  Mad- 
emoiselle Avrillon  says  with  justice,  "  the  public  has 
a  very  faint  knowledge  of  the  real  feelings  of  those 
in  the  highest  station.  Being  often  on  show,  they 
are  obliged  to  assume  a  fictitious  character,  just  as 
they  dress  themselves  for  great  ceremonies.  I  have 
seen  the  Empress's  sufferings,  whom  nothing  could 
console  for  her  separation  from  her  children,  whom 
she  loved  above  everything.  Ambitions  were  less  to 
her  than  maternal  love,  her  strongest  feeling.  The 
thought  of  leaving  her  son  in  Italy,  the  fear  of  never 
seeing  him  again,  or  the  certainty  of  seeing  him  sel- 
dom, made  her  shed  tears."  One  day  when  she  was 
in  more  distress  than  usual,  Napoleon  said  to  her: 
"  You  are  crying,  Josephine ;  that's  absurd ;  you  are 
crying  because  you  are  going  to  be  separated  from 


THE  FESTIVITIES  AT  GENOA.  151 

your  son.  If  the  absence  of  your  children  gives  you 
so  much  pain,  judge  what  I  must  suffer.  The  affec- 
tion you  show  them  makes  me  feel  most  acutely  my 
unhappiness  in  having  none."  These  words  sounded 
in  Josephine's  ears  like  a  funeral  knell.  She  saw  the 
spectre  of  divorce  rising  before  her,  and  turned  pale. 
From  Genoa  they  went  to  Turin.  Napoleon  heard 
there  of  the  coalition  preparing  against  him,  and  left 
suddenly  for  France  with  Josephine.  Non-commis- 
sioned officers  of  the  Grenadiers  and  the  Chasseurs  of 
the  Guard  served  as  escort,  but  they  were  unable  to 
keep  up  with  the  carriages,  so  the  Emperor  thanked 
them  for  their  zeal  and  pushed  on  without  them.  He 
did  not  stop  once  for  twenty-four  hours.  Josephine, 
who  never  tormented  her  husband  by  complaining, 
did  not  say  a  word  about  the  fatigues  of  this  quick 
journey.  After  an  absence  of  a  hundred  days,  they 
reached  Fontainebleau,  July  11.  No  one  expected 
them  and  no  preparations  had  been  made  for  their 
reception.  Their  departure  from  Turin  had  been 
so  recent,  and  it  resembled  a  flight.  The  Emperor 
did  not  wish  to  be  recognized  on  the  way,  and  burst 
into  Fontainebleau  like  a  bombshell.  The  palace  por- 
ter was  an  old  servant,  named  Guillot,  who  had  been 
Napoleon's  cook  in  Egypt.  "Well,"  the  Emperor 
said  to  him,  "  you  must  go  back  to  your  old  business 
and  cook  us  some  supper."  Fortunately  the  porter 
had  in  his  sideboard  some  mutton-chops  and  eggs. 
He  set  to  work,  and  Napoleon  ate  this  improvised 
meal  with  great  relish.     Josejjhine  borrowed  some 


Id'Z       COUBT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

linen  from  one  of  her  old  chambermaids.  The  Em- 
peror asked  for  a  full  account  of  everything  that  had 
happened  in  Paris  during  his  absence,  and  began  to 
draw  up  the  plans  which  were  to  be  accomplished  at 
Austerlitz  before  the  end  of  the  year.  July  18,  at  one 
in  the  afternoon,  he  arrived  at  Saint  Cloud,  accom- 
panied by  the  Empress,  amid  the  roar  of  the  cannon 
at  the  Invalides.  That  evening  they  went  into  the 
city,  called  on  Napoleon's  mother,  and  went  to  the 
opera,  where  the  Pretendus  was  given ;  the  audience 
greeted  them  most  warmly.  After  all  the  splendor 
of  the  Italian  festivities  the  time  had  come  for  mili- 
tary preparations  and  warlike  thoughts. 


XV. 

DURING  THE  CAMPAIGN  OF  AUSTERLITZ. 

AUSTERLITZ  was  to  be  for  the  Empire  what 
Marengo  had  been  for  the  Consulate:  a  con- 
solidation. In  spite  of  the  pomps  of  the  double  coro- 
nation, Napoleon  did  not  feel  firmly  established  on 
his  Imperial  and  Royal  throne.  Opinions  varied  with 
regard  to  the  stability  of  the  new  regime.  The  Lib- 
erals missed  the  Republic,  and  the  Royalists  the 
Bourbons.  If  the  army  and  the  people  showed  con- 
fidence in  the  Emperor's  star,  the  Parisian  middle 
class  was  always  cool,  and  business  men  observed 
with  anxiety  the  hostility  of  England,  Austria,  Rus- 
sia, and  possibly  Prussia.  Paris  was  gloomy ;  busi- 
ness was  dull ;  the  absence  of  the  court  depressed  the 
shop-keepers ;  the  theatres  were  empty ;  in  short,  the 
winter  was  infinitely  less  gay  than  the  one  before. 
There  was  general  uneasiness ;  wives  feared  for  their 
husbands;  mothers  for  their  sons.  Every  one  had 
become  used  to  the  peace  which  had  lasted  five  years, 
and  the  renewal  of  war  inspired  the  greatest  anxiety. 
As  for  Napoleon,  he  felt  the  need  of  some  great 
stroke  that  should  astonish  and  fascinate  the  world. 

153 


154        COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

He  understood  that  to  maintain  his  fame  he  was  con- 
demned to  work  miracles.  September  23,  1805,  he 
had  exposed  to  the  Senate  the  hostile  conduct  of 
Austria,  and  had  announced  his  speedy  departure  to 
carry  aid  to  the  Elector  of  Bavaria,  the  ally  of 
France,  whom  the  Austrians  had  just  driven  from 
Munich.  Five  days  later  he  had  started,  confident  of 
success,  and  certain  that  he  would  find  his  people  at 
his  feet  on  his  return.  The  Empress  accompanied 
him  as  far  as  Strassburg,  and  established  herself  there 
to  be  near  the  scene  of  war  and  to  receive  earlier 
news  than  was  possible  at  Paris. 

Napoleon's  letters  to  Josephine  during  the  Auster- 
litz  campaign  have  been  preserved;  unfortunately, 
we  have  not  hers  to  him.  The  Emperor  writes  very 
differently  from  General  Bonaparte.  His  letters  are 
not  the  ardent,  passionate,  romantic  epistles  recalling 
the  fervid  style  and  thought  of  the  Nouvelle  JSSloise, 
They  are  substantial  letters,  concise  and  interesting, 
such  as  a  good  husband  might  write  after  ten  years 
of  marriage,  but  not  at  all  a  lover'c  letters.  Josephine, 
who  was  quite  observant,  must  have  noticed  the  dif- 
ference, but  she  had  enough  tact  and  prudence  to 
avoid  complaint.  1805  was  not  1796 ;  Napoleon  still 
loved  Josephine,  but  from  habit,  gratitude,  and  a 
sense  of  duty,  not  with  mad  passion.  He  paid  her 
much  attention,  held  her  in  high  regard,  felt  sympa- 
thy with  her,  deference,  and  friendship,  but  scarcely 
love.  Beneath  the  vaulted  roof  of  Notre  Dame 
Napoleon  had  given  to  Josephine  the  Imperial  dia- 


DUBING   THE  CAMPAIGN  OF  AUSTEBLITZ,     155 

dem,  but  lie  had  not  given  her  the  true  crown, — • 
love. 

October  1  the  Emperor  took  command  of  his  kviaj, 
which  had  assembled  with  wonderful  promptness  on 
the  Rhine.  The  next  day  he  wrote  to  the  Empress 
from  Marenheims :  "  I  am  still  very  well,  and  leaving 
for  Strassbui'g,  where  I  shall  arrive  this  evening.  The 
advance  has  begun.  The  armies  of  Wiirtemberg  and 
of  Baden  are  joining  mine.  I  have  a  good  position 
and  love  you."  October  4  he  wrote  to  her :  "  I  am 
at  Ludwigsberg,  and  leave  to-night.  There  is  no 
news.  All  the  Bavarians  have  joined  me.  I  am  well. 
I  hope  in  a  few  days  to  have  something  interesting 
to  tell  you.  Keep  well  and  believe  that  I  love  you. 
There  is  a  very  fine  court  here,  a  pretty  bride,  and 
the  people  are  pleasant,  even  the  Elector's  wife,  who 
seems  very  good,  although  she  is  a  daughter  of  the 
King  of  England." 

October  5  Napoleon  sent  another  letter  to  Joseph- 
ine from  Ludwigsberg :  "  I  have  at  once  to  continue 
my  march.  You  will  be  five  or  six  days  without 
news  of  me ;  don't  be  anxious ;  it  is  on  account  of 
the  operations  we  undertake.  Are  you  as  well  as 
I  could  hope  ?  Yesterday  I  was  at  the  wedding  of 
the  son  of  the  Elector  of  Wiirtemberg  with  a  niece 
of  the  King  of  Prussia.  I  want  to  give  her  a  present 
of  from  thirty-six  to  forty  thousand  francs.  Have  it 
made  and  send  it  by  one  of  ray  chamberlains  to  the 
bride  when  the  chamberlains  are  coming  to  me.  Do 
this  at  once.     Good  by ;  I  love  and  kiss  you/' 


156       COUBT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

These  five  or  six  days  of  silence  were  taken  up  by 
the  opening  of  hostilities  on  the  road  from  Stuttgart 
to  Ulm,  the  crossing  of  the  Danube,  and  the  occupa- 
tion of  Augsburg.  From  this  city  Napoleon  wrote  to 
Josephine  October  10 :  "I  spent  last  night  with  the 
former  Elector  of  Treves,  who  has  comfortable  quar- 
ters. I  have  been  on  the  move  for  a  week.  The 
campaign  opens  with  noteworthy  successes.  I  am 
very  well  though  it  rains  nearly  every  day.  Things 
have  moved  very  quickly.  I  have  sent  to  France 
four  thousand  prisoners,  eight  flags,  and  have  cap- 
tured fourteen  cannon.  Good  by,  my  dear;  I  kiss 
you."  Two  days  later  the  French  army  entered 
Munich  in  triumph,  the  Austrians  having  been  driven 
out  of  Bavaria.  The  Emperor  wrote  to  the  Empress, 
October  12 :  "  My  army  has  entered  Munich.  The 
enemy  is  partly  on  the  other  side  of  the  Inn;  the 
other  army  of  sixty  thousand  men  I  have  blockaded 
on  the  Iller  between  Ulm  and  Memmingen.  The 
enemy  is  lost,  has  completely  lost  its  head,  and  every- 
thing promises  the  luckiest,  shortest,  and  most  brilliant 
campaign  ever  known.  I  leave  in  an  hour  for  Burgau 
on  the  Iller.  I  am  well ;  the  weather  is  frightful.  It 
rains  so  that  I  have  to  change  my  clothes  twice  a  day. 
I  love  you." 

The  first  successes  of  the  campaign  caused  great 
excitement  in  Paris,  as  is  shown  by  the  letters  of 
Madame  de  R^musat,  no  great  lover  of  military  glory, 
to  her  husband,  who  had  accompanied  the  Empress  to 
Strassburg;  every  day  this  lady  would  jot  down  what 


DUBING   THE  CAMPAIGN  OF  AUSTEBLITZ.      157 

had  happened,  and  her  interesting  correspondence 
brings  the  period  vividly  before  us.  October  12,  she 
wrote,  the  absence  of  the  Empress  leaving  her  time 
heavy  on  her  hands :  "  How  gloomy  and  ill  we  are  in 
this  odious  Paris !  Please  tell  M.  de  Talleyrand  that 
it  is  really  something  pitiable.  Not  even  a  word  of 
gossip !  In  short,  we  are  as  bored  as  we  are  virtuous. 
I  don't  know  which  is  the  cause  and  which  the  effect, 
but  I  do  know  that  I  am  horribly  bored.  The  solitude 
of  this  great  city  is  really  remarkable ;  the  theatres 
are  empty ;  I  hardly  ever  go  to  them." 

In  two  days  there  was  a  complete  change.  Paris 
woke  up  as  if  to  a  joyous  trumpet-call,  and  Madame  de 
R^musat  was  full  of  happiness :  "  My  dear,  what  good 
news ! "  she  wrote  October  14,  "...  This  morning 
the  cannon  announced  the  victory  to  the  city  of  Paris ; 
it  produced  a  great  effect.  Every  one  was  inquiring 
about  it  in  the  street,  and  congratulating  himself ;  in 
short,  I  send  the  Empress  word,  the  Parisians  were 
French.  I  have  already  written  twenty  notes,  and 
received  all  the  visits  of  congratulation.  .  .  .  But 
what  a  great  victory  !  How  proud  I  am  of  being  a 
Frenchwoman!  I  couldn't  sleep  for  joy.  Perhaps 
by  this  time  you  have  heard  of  others,  and  when  we 
are  rejoicing  over  the  first  victory,  you  have  forgotten 
it  with  another.  May  Heaven  continue  to  protect 
this  noble  army  and  its  glorious  leader ! "  This  en- 
thusiastic letter  ends  with  these  somewhat  harsh  criti- 
cisms of  the  Parisians :  "  This  victory  was  necessary, 
for  these  sad  Parisians  had  begun  to  complain.     The 


158        COURT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

— — — — ^ __, 

emptiness  of  Paris,  its  quiet,  the  lack  of  money  which 
continues  to  make  itself  felt,  gave  to  the  malevolent 
a  good  opportunity  to  excite  dissatisfaction,  and  they 
did  their  best  to  spread  it.  I  was  wondering  this  very 
morning  why  in  a  nation  so  devoid  of  national  feeling 
there  should  be  in  the  army  such  unity  of  action  and 
thought.  It  seems  to  me  that  honor  has  a  good  deal 
to  do  with  this  difference,  and  that  it  takes  the  place 
of  public  spirit  in  many  who  in  ordinary  times  are 
too  happy,  too  rich,  and  too  careless  to  care  for  any- 
thing beyond  their  own  belongings." 

Napoleon  went  from  one  victory  to  another.  Octo- 
ber 18,  just  before  the  capitulation  of  Ulm,  he  wrote 
to  Josephine  from  Elchingen  :  "  I  have  been  more 
tired  than  I  should  have  been;  for  a  week  getting  wet 
through  every  day,  and  cold  feet,  have  done  me  a  little 
harm,  but  staying  in  to-day  has  rested  me.  I  have 
carried  out  my  plan  and  have  destroyed  the  Austrian 
army  by  simple  marches.  I  have  taken  sixty  thousand 
prisoners,  one  hundred  and  twenty  cannon,  more  than 
ninety  flags,  and  more  than  thirty  generals.  I  am 
going  to  attack  the  Russians;  they  are  lost.  I  am 
satisfied  with  my  army.  I  have  lost  only  fifteen 
hundred  men,  and  two-thirds  of  these  are  but  slightly 
wounded.  Good  by.  Remember  me  to  every  one. 
Prince  Charles  is  coming  to  cover  Vienna.  I  think 
Mass^na  ought  to  be  at  Vienna  at  this  time.  As  soon 
as  I  am  easy  about  Italy  I  shall  make  Eugene  fight. 
My  love  to  Hor tense." 

The  capitulation  of  Ulm  was  arranged  by  Napoleon 


DURING  THE  CAMPAIGN  OF  AUSTERLITZ.      159 

with  Prince  Lichtenstein,  Major-General  of  the  Aus- 
trian army.  A  heavy  rain  fell  without  cessation,  and 
the  prisoners  were  amazed  to  see  the  Emperor,  who 
had  not  taken  off  his  boots  for  a  week,  wet  through, 
covered  with  mud,  and  more  tired  than  the  humblest 
drummer.  When  some  one  spoke  of  it,  he  said 
to  Prince  Lichtenstein :  "  Your  Emperor  wanted  to 
remind  me  that  I  was  a  soldier.  I  hope  he  will 
acknowledge  that  the  throne  and  the  Imperial  purple 
have  not  made  me  forget  my  old  trade."  October 
21,  the  day  after  the  capitulation.  Napoleon  wrote 
to  Josephine :  "I  am  very  well,  my  dear.  I  leave  at 
once  for  Augsburg.  I  have  made  an  army  of  thirty- 
three  thousand  men  surrender.  I  have  taken  from 
sixty  to  seventy  thousand  prisoners,  more  than  ninety 
flags,  and  more  than  two  hundred  cannon.  In  the 
military  annals  there  is  no  such  defeat.  Keep  well. 
I  am  a  little  worried.  For  three  days  the  weather 
has  been  pleasant.  The  first  column  of  prisoners 
starts  for  France  to-day.  Each  column  contains  six 
thousand  men."  Never  had  war  been  fought  with 
such  art.  An  army  of  eighty-five  thousand  men  had 
been  destroyed  almost  without  firing  a  gun ;  its  adver- 
saries had  lost  only  three  thousand  men.  After  this 
great  victory  Napoleon's  soldiers  said,  "  The  Emperor 
beat  the  enemy  with  our  legs,  not  with  our  bayonets." 
These  chronicles  of  war  have  a  sad  side  even  when 
they  commemorate  the  most  brilliant  victories.  Even 
while  he  counts  the  trophies  the  historian  cannot 
avoid  melancholy  reflections.      What   capitulations 


160       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

awaited  France  sixty-five  years  after  this  capitulation 
of  Ulm !  But  in  this  intoxication  of  victory,  people 
have  eyes  only  for  their  success.  Were  they  reason- 
able, they  would  then  reflect  on  the  calamities  of  war. 
Hortense,  who  was  as  kind  as  her  mother,  Josephine, 
had  this  wisdom  and  pity.  She  said,  "  When  I  read 
these  accounts  I  am  surprised  to  find  myself  ready  to 
weep  even  when  I  am  happy  at  the  victories."  At 
the  same  time  Madame  de  R^musat  wrote  to  her  hus- 
band :  "  Poor  creatures  that  we  are,  how  restless  we 
are  on  this  sandhill,  and  too  often  only  to  hasten  our 
end !  A  good  subject  for  the  philosopher  is  this  glory, 
with  which  we  adorn  our  eagerness  in  killing  one 
another."  The  triumphal  music  should  not  drown 
the  sobs  and  cries  of  the  mothers ;  we  should  think  of 
the  dead  and  wounded.  But  nations  are  like  indi- 
viduals :  they  never  reflect. 

Napoleon  pushed  on  the  war  with  real  delight.  He 
felt  about  war  as  a  good  workman  feels  about  his 
work,  as  a  great  artist  about  his  art.  To  war  it  was 
that  he  owed  his  power  and  glory.  Without  it,  he 
said,  he  would  have  been  nothing ;  by  it,  he  was 
everything.  Hence  he  felt  for  it  not  merely  love,  but 
gratitude  ;  loving  it  both  by  instinct  and  calculation. 
He  preferred  the  bivouac  to  the  Tuileries.  Just  as 
the  snipe-shooter  prefers  a  marsh  to  a  drawing-room, 
he  was  more  at  home  under  a  tent  than  in  a  palace. 
To  men  who  like  the  battle-field,  war  is  the  most 
intense  of  pleasures.  They  love  it  as  the  gamester 
loves  play,  with  a  real  frenzy.    They  defeat  the  enemy, 


BUEING   THE  CAMPAIGN  OF  AU8TEBLITZ.      161 

not  merely  without  feeling,  but  with  a  fierce  joy,  as 
if  it  were  their  prey.  They  feel  the  same  emotions 
as  the  Romans  in  a  circus,  or  the  Spaniards  at  a  bull- 
fight. The  rattle  of  drums,  the  blare  of  trumpets, 
shouts  of  soldiers,  are  what  they  hear  ;  their  ears  are 
deaf  to  the  cries  of  the  wounded  and  dying.  The 
varying  chances  of  the  combat,  the  uncertainties  of 
fear  and  hope  produce  in  them  emotions  that  they 
prefer  to  all  others,  however  poetic  and  charming. 
It  is  with  a  sort  of  intoxication  that  they  inhale  the 
smell  of  gunpowder,  perpaps  even  that  of  blood. 
A  hotly  contested  victory  is  more  agreeable  to  them 
than  one  too  easily  gained.  Fortune  is,  in  their  eyes, 
a  difl&cult  mistress,  whose  favors  seem  the  dearer,  the 
harder  they  are  of  attainment.  What  a  satisfaction 
for  a  proud  man  to  be  absolute  commander  of  an 
army  which,  before  the  fight,  shouts  like  the  ancient 
gladiators :  Ave^  Ccesar,  morituri  te  salutant !  "  Hail, 
Caesar,  those  about  to  die  salute  you ! "  an  army  in 
which  even  dying  men  shout  applause,  with  their  last 
breath,  to  their  sovereign,  their  idol !  And  yet  how 
petty  is  all  this  glory !  Bossuet  was  right  when  he 
said:  "What  could  you  find  on  earth  strong  and 
dignified  enough  to  bear  the  name  of  power?  Open 
your  eyes,  pierce  the  dusk.  All  the  power  in  the 
world  can  but  take  a  man's  life :  is  it  then  such  a 
great  thing  to  shorten  by  a  few  moments  a  life  which 
is  already  hastening  to  its  end?" 

Josephine  did  not  in  the  least  share  her  husband's 
warlike   tastes.      Gentle,    kindly,    affectionate,   full 


162       COUBT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

of  pity  for  human  woes,  she  would  have  liked  to 
reconcile  all  parties;  3XI  nations,  —  to  have  universal 
peace.  This  woman,  who  had  all  the  graces  and 
charms  of  her  sex,  never  inspired  Napoleon  with 
ambitious  or  haughty  thoughts.  While  the  war 
lasted,  she  was  anxious,  unhappy;  waiting  anxiously 
with  bated  breath  for  news,  scarcely  living. 

Napoleon  wrote  to  her  from  Augsburg,  October  23 : 
"  The  last  two  nights  have  rested  me  completely,  and 
I  leave  for  Munich  to-morrow ;  I  am  summoning  to 
me  M.  de  Talleyrand  and  M.  Maret ;  I  shall  see  them 
for  a  short  time,  and  then  leave  for  the  Inn,  where  I 
mean  to  attack  Austria  in  its  hereditary  states.  I 
should  have  been  glad  to  see  you,  but  don't  expect 
me  to  summon  you  unless  there  should  be  an  armis- 
tice, or  we  should  go  into  winter  quarters.  Good  by, 
my  dear;  a  thousand  kisses.  Remember  me  to  all 
the  ladies."  From  Munich  the  Emperor  wrote  the 
following  letter,  dated  October  2T :  "I  have  received 
your  letter  from  Lamarois.  I  am  sorry  to  see  that 
you  have  been  over-anxious.  I  have  heard  many  de- 
tails of  your  affection  for  me,  but  you  should  have  more 
strength  and  confidence.  Besides,  I  had  told  you  I 
should  not  write  for  six  days.  To-morrow  I  expect 
the  Elector.  At  noon  I  start  to  strengthen  my  move- 
ment on  the  Inn.  My  health  is  very  fair.  You 
mustn't  think  of  crossing  the  Rhine  in  less  than  two 
or  three  weeks.  You  must  be  cheerful,  and  amuse 
yourself  in  the  hope  of  our  meeting  before  the  end  of 
the  month  (Brumaire).     I  am  advancing  on  the  Rus- 


DURING  THE  CAMPAIGN  OF  AUSTERLITZ.     163 

sian  army.  In  a  few  days  I  shall  have  crossed  the 
Inn.  Good  by,  my  dear ;  much  love  to  Hortense,  to 
Eugene,  and  to  the  two  Napoleons.  Keep  the  wed- 
ding present  for  some  time  yet.  Yesterday  I  gave 
a  concert  to  the  ladies  of  this  court.  The  leader 
is  a  worthy  man.  I  have  shot  pheasants  with  the 
Elector ;  you  see  I  am  not  worn  out.  M.  de  Talley- 
rand has  come."  Again,  from  Haag,  November  3, 
1805 :  "  I  am  advancing  rapidly ;  the  weather  is  very 
cold ;  the  snow  is  a  foot  deep.  This  is  not  pleasant. 
Fortunately,  we  have  an  abundance  of  wood ;  we  are 
continually  in  the  forests.  I  am  fairly  well.  Every- 
thing goes  on  satisfactorily;  the  enemy  has  more 
cause  for  anxiety  than  I.  I  am  eager  to  hear  from 
you,  and  to  know  that  your  mind  is  easy.  Good  by, 
my  dear ;  I  am  going  to  bed." 

Napoleon  continued  his  operations  with  startling 
rapidity.  He  wrote  to  Josephine  November  5 :  "I 
am  at  Linz.  The  weather  is  fine.  We  are  within 
twenty-eight  leagues  of  Vienna.  The  Russians  are 
retreating  without  making  a  stand.  The  house  of 
Austria  is  much  embarrassed ;  all  the  belongings  of 
the  court  have  been  removed  from  Vienna.  You  will 
probably  have  some  news  in  five  or  six  days.  I  am 
very  anxious  to  see  you.  My  health  is  good."  The 
Emperor  of  Austria,  compelled  to  leave  Vienna,  had 
sought  refuge  at  Brunn,  where  he  joined  the  Czar  and 
the  second  Russian  army ;  and  Napoleon  entered  the 
capital  whence  the  Emperor  Francis  had  fled.  He 
wrote  to  Josephine  November  15 :  "I  have  been  for 


164       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

two  days  in  Vienna,  a  little  tired.  I  have  not  yet  seen 
the  city  by  daylight,  but  have  only  passed  through  it 
by  night.  To-morrow  I  receive  the  authorities.  Al- 
most all  my  troops  are  beyond  the  Danube  in  pursuit 
of  the  Russians.  Good  by,  dear  Josephine ;  as  soon 
as  possible  I  shall  arrange  for  you  to  come.  I  send 
much  love."  The  next  day  he  wrote  again  to  the 
Empress  from  Vienna:  "I  am  writing  to  M.  de 
Narville  to  arrange  for  you  to  go  to  Baden,  thence  to 
Stuttgart,  and  thence  to  Munich.  At  Stuttgart  you 
will  give  the  present  to  the  Princess  Paul.  Fifteen 
or  twenty  thousand  francs  will  be  enough  for  it ;  the 
rest  will  be  enough  for  a  present  to  the  daughter 
of  the  Elector  of  Bavaria  at  Munich.  All  that  you 
heard  from  Madame  de  S^rent  is  definitely  arranged. 
Bring  presents  for  the  ladies  and  officers  in  waiting 
on  you.  Be  pleasant,  but  receive  all  their  homages ; 
they  owe  you  everything,  and  you  owe  them  nothing, 
except  in  the  way  of  politeness.  The  Electress  of 
Wiirtemberg  is  a  daughter  of  the  King  of  England ; 
you  should  treat  her  well,  and  especially  without 
affectation.  I  shall  be  glad  to  see  you  as  soon  as 
business  will  permit.  I  am  leaving  for  the  front. 
The  weather  is  admirable ;  there  is  much  snow,  but 
everything  is  in  good  condition.  Good  by,  my  dear 
one."  On  the  receipt  of  this  letter,  Josephine,  who 
was  most  anxious  to  see  her  husband,  hastened  away 
from  Strassburg  to  go  to  Munich  through  Baden  and 
Wiirtemberg.  At  the  same  time  Napoleon  set  off  to 
meet  the  Austrian  and  Russian  armies,  commanded 
by  their  respective  Emperors,  in  Moravia. 


DUEING  THE  CAMPAIGN  OF  AU8TERLITZ,     165 

We  have  in  the  Memoirs  of  General  de  S^gur,  an 
eye-witness,  an  interesting  account  of  the  eve  of 
Austerlitz.  Late  in  the  afternoon  Napoleon  entered 
a  hut,  and  took  his  place  at  table  in  the  best  of 
spirits,  along  with  Murat,  Caulaincourt,  Junot,  S^gur, 
Rapp,  and  a  few  other  guests.  They  thought  that  he 
would  talk  about  the  next  day's  battle.  Not  at  all: 
he  discussed  literature  with  Junot,  who  was  familiar 
with  all  the  new  tragedies ;  he  had  a  good  deal  to 
say  about  Raynouard's  Templars,  about  Racine,  Cor- 
neille,  and  the  fate  of  the  ancient  drama.  Then,  by 
a  singular  transition,  he  began  to  talk  about  his 
Egyptian  campaign.  "  If  I  had  captured  Acre,"  he 
said,  "  I  should  have  put  my  army  into  long  trousers, 
and  have  made  it  my  sacred  battalion,  my  Immortals, 
and  have  finished  my  war  against  the  Turks  with 
Arabians,  Greeks,  and  Armenians.  Instead  of  fight- 
ing here  in  Moravia,  I  should  be  winning  a  battle  of 
Issus,  and  be  making  myself  Emperor  of  the  "West, 
returning  to  Paris  through  Constantinople." 

After  dinner  Napoleon  wished  to  make  a  final 
reconnoissance  of  the  enemy's  position  by  their  biv- 
ouac fires;  he  mounted  his  horse  and  rode  out 
between  the  lines.  One  moment  he  came  near  pay- 
ing dear  for  his  imprudence  ;  he  went  too  far  forward 
and  suddenly  fell  on  a  post  of  Cossacks,  and  had 
it  not  been  for  the  devotion  of  the  chasseurs  who 
escorted  him,  he  would  have  been  killed  or  captured, 
and  he  was  scarcely  able  to  escape  at  full  gallop. 
After  crossing  the  stream  which  covered  the  front  of 


166       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

the  French  army,  he  dismounted  and  returned  to  his 
bivouac,  from  one  watch-fire  to  another,  on  foot.  On 
his  way  he  stumbled  over  the  stump  of  a  tree  and  fell 
to  the  ground.  Then  a  grenadier  took  some  straw, 
rolled  it  up  to  something  like  a  torch,  and  lit  it; 
other  soldiers  did  the  same  thing;  the  camp  was 
illuminated,  and  the  face  of  the  great  conqueror  was 
plainly  to  be  seen.  The  next  day  was  December  2, 
the  anniversary  of  his  coronation.  "Emperor," 
shouted  an  old  soldier,  "I  promise  you  in  the  name 
of  the  grenadiers  of  the  army  that  you  will  have  to 
fight  only  with  your  eyes,  and  that  to-morrow  we  shall 
bring  you  the  flags  and  artillery  of  the  Russian  army 
to  celebrate  the  anniversary  of  your  coronation." 
Every  one  shouted  applause.  Napoleon  in  vain  tried 
to  stop  them.  "  Silence,"  he  commanded,  "  until 
to-morrow!  think  of  nothing  but  sharpening  your 
bayonets!"  Shouts  of  "Long  live  the  Emperor!" 
were  repeated.  Along  a  line  of  two  leagues  blazed 
thousands  of  fires  and  flames.  The  Russians  won- 
dered what  was  the  cause  of  this  unusual  brilliancy, 
and  thought  the  French  were  retreating.  Napoleon 
was  at  first  annoyed  by  this  rapturous  demonstra- 
tion, but  at  last  he  was  touched  by  it,  and  passing 
through  a  number  of  bivouacs,  all  brightly  lit,  he 
expressed  his  gratitude  to  his  soldiers,  saying  it  was 
the  happiest  evening  of  his  life.  Then  he  went  to 
his  tent,  snatched  a  little  sleep,  and  when  he  rose  in 
the  morning,  said,  "Now,  gentlemen,  we  are  begin- 
ning a  great  day." 


DURING   THE  CAMPAIGN  OF  AUSTEBLITZ.      167 


A  moment  later,  the  commanders  of  the  differ- 
ent army  corps,  Murat,  Lannes,  Bernadotte,  Soult, 
Davout,  came  galloping  up  the  little  mound  which 
the  soldiers  called  the  Emperor's  hill,  to  receive  his 
final  orders.  It  was  a  solemn,  impressive  moment. 
"  If  I  were  to  live,"  says  General  de  Sdgur,  "  as  long 
as  the  world  shall  last,  I  shall  never  forget  that 
scene.  .  .  .  Times  have  changed  quickly  since  then. 
Heavens !  how  great  everything  was  then,  how  brave 
the  men,  how  glorious  the  time,  how  imposing  the 
appearance  of  fate  I "  Never  was  there  a  more  bril- 
liant triumph.  "I  have  fought  thirty  battles  like 
that,"  said  the  conqueror,  "  but  I  have  never  seen  so 
decisive  a  victory,  or  one  where  the  chances  were  so 
unevenly  balanced."  And  then  full  of  admiration 
for  his  soldiers,  he  exclaimed,  "I  am  satisfied  with 
you;  you  have  covered  your  eagles  with  undying 
glory." 

From  a  military  point  of  view  Austerlitz  was 
Napoleon's  greatest  triumph.  War,  which  he  loved 
with  all  its  risks  and  emotions,  then  showed  him  its 
most  tempting  side.  He  was  always  tempting  fate, 
and  fate  had  always  favored  him.  The  hour  had  not 
yet  struck  when  he  was  to  ask  more  of  fortune  than 
it  could  give.  As  Sainte-Beuve  truly  says,  it  was  not 
till  in  the  icy  plain  of  Eylau,  from  the  cemetery 
covered  with  blood-stained  snow,  that  receiving  the 
first  warning  of  Providence,  he  had  a  sort  of  terrible 
vision  of  what  the  future  held  in  store  for  him. 
Then  he  had  before  his  eyes  a  sort  of  rehearsal  of  the 


168       COTTBT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

horrors  awaiting  hijn  in  Russia,  and  at  the  sight  of 
so  many  corpses,  and  the  awful  scene,  he  said  with 
deep  melancholy,  "  This  sight  is  one  to  fill  kings  with 
love  of  peace  and  horror  of  war."  But  at  Austerlitz 
it  was  very  different.  The  shrieks  of  the  Russians 
sinking  through  the  holes  torn  in  the  ice  by  cannon- 
balls  were  drowned  in  the  shouts  of  the  victors. 
The  bright  sunlight  of  that  day  of  triumph  dispelled 
all  traces  of  gloom  in  the  conqueror's  heart. 

December  3,  Napoleon  wrote  thus  to  Josephine 
about  his  victory :  "  I  despatched  Lebrun  to  you  from 
the  battle-field.  I  have  beaten  the  Russian  and  Aus- 
trian armies  commanded  by  the  two  Emperors.  I  am 
a  little  tired.  I  have  bivouacked  for  a  week  in  the 
open  air,  and  the  nights  have  been  cool.  To-night 
I  am  going  to  sleep  in  the  castle  of  Prince  Kaunitz, 
where  I  shall  get  two  or  three  hours'  rest.  The 
Russian  army  is  not  merely  defeated,  but  destroyed. 
Much  love."  December  3,  he  had  an  interview  in 
his  bivouac  with  the  Emperor  of  Austria ;  and  as  if 
to  apologize  for  the  wretched  quarters  in  which  he 
received  him,  he  said,  "This  is  the  palace  which 
Your  Majesty  has  compelled  me  to  inhabit  these  three 
months."  The  Emperor  of  Austria  replied,  "You 
make  such  good  use  of  it,  that  you  certainly  can't 
blame  me  on  that  account."  And  then  the  two 
Emperors  embraced. 

The  next  day  Napoleon  wrote  to  Josephine :  "  I 
have  made  a  truce.^  The  Russians  withdraw.  The 
battle  of  Austerlitz  is  the  greatest  I  have  won :  forty- 


DURING  THE  CAMPAIGN  OF  AUSTEBLITZ.     169 

five  flags,  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  cannon, 
the  standards  of  the  Russian  guards,  twenty  generals, 
more  than  twenty  thousand  killed,  —  a  horrid  sight ! 
The  Emperor  Alexander  is  in  despair,  and  is  leaving 
for  Russia.  Yesterday  I  saw  the  Emperor  of  Ger- 
many in  my  bivouac ;  we  talked  for  two  hours,  and 
agreed  on  a  speedy  peace.  The  weather  is  not  yet 
very  bad.  Now  that  the  continent  is  at  peace,  we 
may  hope  for  it  everywhere :  the  English  will  be 
unable  to  face  us.  I  shall  see  with  pleasure  the  time 
that  will  restore  me  to  you.  For  two  days  a  little 
trouble  with  the  eyes  has  been  prevalent  in  the  army. 
I  have  not  yet  been  attacked.  Good  by,  my  dear. 
I  am  fairly  well,  and  very  anxious  to  see  you." 
December  3,  there  was  another  letter,  also  from 
Austerlitz :  "  I  have  concluded  an  armistice,  and  peace 
will  be  made  within  a  week.  I  am  anxious  to  hear 
that  you  have  reached  Munich  in  good  health.  The 
Russians  are  going  back  after  suffering  immense 
losses :  more  than  twenty  thousand  killed  and  thirty 
thousand  captured ;  they  have  lost  three-quarters  of 
their  army.  Buxhovden,  their  commander-in-chief, 
is  killed.  I  have  three  thousand  wounded  and  seven 
or  eight  hundred  killed.  I  have  a  little  trouble  with 
my  eyes :  an  epidemic ;  it  amounts  to  nothing.  Good 
by ;  I  am  anxious  to  see  you  once  more.  To-night 
I  sleep  in  Vienna." 

Cambac^r^s  said  that  the  news  of  the  victory  of 
Austerlitz  filled  the  populace  with  the  wildest  joy, 
which  expressed  itself  in  the  most  extravagant  flat- 


170       COUBT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

tery.  The  Emperor  was  treated  like  a  god,  and 
naturally  a  sovereign  so  flattered  did  not  control  his 
love  of  war.  It  was  only  on  his  deathbed  that 
Louis  XIV.  said,  "  I  have  been  over-fond  of  war ! " 
He  said  nothing  of  the  sort  when  the  gates  of  Saint 
Martin  and  of  Saint  Denis  were  built  in  his  honor, 
when  his  statue  was  put  up  in  the  Place  des  Vic- 
toires,  when  Lebrun  painted  the  proud  frescoes  in  the 
gallery  at  Versailles.  Like  Louis  XIV.,  Napoleon 
reproached  himself  with  excessive  love  of  war ;  but 
it  was  not  after  Austerlitz,  but  after  "Waterloo.  No 
man  is  worthy  of  adoration ;  it  belongs  to  God  alone. 
Woe  to  the  princes  who  are  fed  on  flattery!  Ex- 
travagant laudation  brings  its  punishment;  even  in 
this  world  pride  has  its  fall. 

The  enthusiasm  was  universal ;  the  victorious 
French  could  not  contain  themselves  for  joy,  and 
wholly  lost  their  heads.  Thus  even  Madame  de 
R^musat,  who,  after  the  defeat,  had  shown  herself 
so  severe,  one  might  almost  say  so  cruel,  towards 
Napoleon,  wrote  thus  to  her  husband,  December  18, 
1805,  after  the  news  of  Austerlitz:  "You  cannot 
imagine  how  excited  every  one  is.  Praise  of  the 
Emperor  is  on  every  one's  lips ;  the  most  recalcitrant 
are  obliged  to  lay  down  their  arms,  and  to  say  with 
the  Emperor  of  Russia,  '  He  is  the  man  of  destiny ! ' 
Day  before  yesterday  I  went  to  the  theatre  with 
Princess  Louis  to  hear  the  different  bulletins  read. 
The  crowd  was  enormous  because  the  cannon  in  the 
morning  had  announced  the  arrival  of  news ;  every 


BUBING   THE  CAMPAIGN  OF  AUSTEBLITZ.      171 

thing  was  listened  to,  and  then  applauded  with  cries 
such  as  I  had  never  imagined.  I  wept  copiously  all 
the  time.  I  was  so  moved  that  I  believe  if  the 
Emperor  had  been  present,  I  should  have  flung  my 
arms  about  his  neck,  to  beg  for  pardon  afterwards 
at  his  feet.  After  this  I  supped  out :  every  one  plied 
me  with  questions.  I  knew  the  whole  bulletin  by 
heart,  and  kept  repeating  it ;  and  was  glad  to  be  able 
to  tell  the  news  to  so  many  people,  to  repeat  those 
simple  impressive  words,  with  a  feeling  of  owning 
them,  which  you  can  understand  better  than  I  can 
define.  I  missed  you  much  in  all  my  joy,  which  I 
should  have  gladly  shared  with  you;  but  in  your 
absence  I  tried  to  communicate  my  admiration  to 
our  son.  Instead  of  making  him  finish  the  life  of 
Alexander,  which  he  has  been  reading  for  two  days, 
it  occurred  to  me  to  have  him  read  aloud  the  Moni- 
teur,  and  he  was  so  much  pleased  that  he  said  he 
thought  it  all  much  greater  than  Alexander." 

Alas !  thoughtful  people  should  never  forget  how 
much  greater  is  virtue  than  success.  In  this  low  world 
no  one  takes  a  lofty  enough  view  of  things.  Not 
after  defeat,  but  after  victory,  is  the  time  to  speak  of 
war  seriously  and  sadly.  If  Napoleon  in  the  hour 
of  triumph  had  not  been  flattered  to  excess,  if  at  the 
proper  moment  the  lessons  of  history,  philosophy,  and 
religion  had  been  enforced  upon  him,  he  would  not 
have  rushed  blindly  into  the  gulf  that  finally  swal- 
lowed him.  Nothing  is  less  humane,  less  Christian, 
than  the  extravagant  praise  lavished  on  the  conquer- 


172       COUBT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

ors  of  the  earth.  Laymen  and  priests  are  equally  to 
blame,  for  the  flatterers  of  conquerors  bear  perhaps  a 
heavier  responsibility  than  the  conquerors  themselves. 
In  the  ancient  triumphs,  at  least  there  was  a  slave 
charged  with  reminding  the  hero  that  he  was  but  a 
man ;  in  modern  times,  there  is  nothing  of  the  sort ; 
the  hero  can  imagine  himself  more  than  mortal.  Why 
does  not  the  clergy,  instead  of  intoning  a  Te  Beum, 
take  the  part  of  that  slave  ?  Is  it  well  to  forget  that 
those  nations  who  are  most  modest  in  success  are 
bravest  and  most  resigned  in  misfortune?  Those 
whose  heads  are  turned  by  prosperity  cannot  endure 
reverses.  For  society,  as  for  individuals,  nothing  is 
more  baneful  than  outbursts  of  joy  and  pride.  The 
vaster  a  monarch's  power,  the  greater  his  need  to 
meditate  on  the  fickleness  of  fate ;  but  the  lessons  of 
wisdom  are  never  recalled  till  they  are  useless ;  they 
are  whispered  into  his  ears  only  when  they  can  but 
add  a  sting  to  defeat. 


XVI. 

THE  IVIAERIAGE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

BOTH  before  and  after  the  battle  of  Austerlitz  a 
great  part  of  Germany  was  at  Napoleon's  feet. 
The  Electors  of  Baden,  Wiirtemberg,  and  Bavaria, 
the  last  two  of  whom  were  to  become  kings  by  the 
consent  of  the  new  Charlemagne,  testified  an  enthu- 
siastic admiration  for  him,  and  were  all  to  profit  by 
his  victory.  The  petty  princes  who  were  about  to 
enter  the  Confederation  of  the  Rhine  were  his  hum- 
ble vassals,  and  paid  obsequious  court  to  his  Minister 
of  Foreign  Affairs,  M.  de  Talleyrand.  The  archives 
of  our  Ministry  of  Foreign  Affairs  would  have  to  be 
consulted  for  an  exact  understanding  of  their  servility 
and  flattery.  Moreover,  the  populace  itself  shared 
the  feelings  of  their  princes.  The  Bavarians  re- 
garded Napoleon  as  their  liberator.  French  manners 
and  ideas  were  more  than  ever  prevalent  on  the  banks 
of  the  Rhine,  and  Germanic  patriotism  pardoned 
France  the  possession  of  the  left  bank  of  this  river. 
If  Napoleon  had  not  abused  fortune,  what  grand  and 
pacific  things  might  he  not  have  accomplished  in 
concert  with    Germany,   and  what   progress  might 

173 


174       COUBT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

not  have  been  made  for  the  harmony  of  nations,  for 
civilization  and  humanity ! 

We  quote  a  letter  written  before  the  battle  of 
Austerlitz,  November  26,  1805,  by  the  Elector  of 
Bavaria  to  M.  de  Talleyrand,  then  in  Vienna :  "  You 
are  the  most  amiable  of  men,  my  dear  Talleyrand. 
Your  two  letters  which  I  received  last  evening  have 
given  me  the  greatest  pleasure.  How  grateful  I  am 
that  you  should  have  thought  of  me  and  of  Munich 
when  you  are  in  the  most  beautiful  city  in  Germany, 
and  hearing  every  day  the  famous  Crescentini  I  I  do 
as  much  for  you.  Your  Excellency,  but  the  merit  is 
not  the  same.  Every  evening  I  express  my  regret 
that  you  are  not  here.  M.  de  Canisy  has  announced 
the  arrival  of  the  Emperor  in  a  week.  Six  days  have 
passed,  and  I  am  hoping  to  see  him  in  three  days  at 
the  outside,  and  the  Empress,  Saturday  next.  My 
wife  arrived  day  before  yesterday,  very  anxious,  as  is 
her  chaste  spouse,  to  pay  our  court  to  Their  Imperial 
Majesties,  and  to  offer  them  all  the  honors  of  Munich. 
Lay  me  before  the  feet  of  the  hero  to  whom  I  owe 
my  present  and  future  existence,  and  speak  to  him 
often  of  my  respect,  of  my  enthusiasm  for  his  virtues, 
and  of  my  heartiest  and  incessant  gratitude.  I  hope 
that  the  coalition  will  soon  grow  tired  of  war ;  in  any 
event,  the  lessons  the  Emperor  has  given  it  the  last 
two  months  are  of  a  nature  to  inspire  disgust  with  it." 

November  10,  1805,  Napoleon  had  written  to  Jo- 
sephine to  leave  Strassburg  for  Munich,  stopping  at 
Carlsruhe  and  Stuttgart.    In  this  letter  he  had  said : 


THE  MARRIAGE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.        175 

**^  Be  pleasant,  but  receive  all  their  homages ;  they  owe 
you  everything,  and  you  owe  them  nothing,  except  in 
the  way  of  politeness."  He  was  not  mistaken.  This 
trip  of  the  Empress's  through  Germany  was  to  be  one 
series  of  festivities  and  ovations.  Before  she  left 
Strassburg  she  received  a  visit  from  the  Elector  of 
Baden,  whose  grandson,  the  hereditary  prince,  was, 
the  next  year,  to  marry  Mademoiselle  Stephanie  de 
Beauharnais,  in  spite  of  the  opposition  of  his  mother, 
the  Margravine.  M.  Massias,  charg^  d'affaires  of 
France  at  Baden,  wrote  to  M.  de  Talleyrand,  No- 
vember 13 :  "  My  Lord,  His  Most  Serene  Highness 
the  Elector,  has  returned  with  his  family  from 
Strassburg,  where  he  was  most  kindly  received  by 
Her  Majesty  the  Empress  and  Queen.  He  invited 
her  to  honor  Carlsruhe  with  her  presence,  and  to 
accept  quarters  in  his  castle  when  she  should  go  to 
join  His  Majesty  the  Emperor  and  King.  Her  Maj- 
esty the  Empress  seemed  pleased  with  the  invitation 
and  promised  to  accept  it  if  circumstances  should 
permit.  Before  his  departure,  the  Elector  sent  the 
Prince  Electoral  to  the  Margravine  his  mother,  to 
beg  her  to  come  to  Strassburg  to  pay  her  respects  to 
Her  Majesty  the  Empress.  She  replied  that  when 
the  Empress  of  Austria  was  at  Frankfort  and  the 
Queen  of  Prussia  at  Darmstadt,  she  had  not  left, 
Carlsruhe  to  visit  them,  and  that  if  the  Empress  of 
the  French  should  pass  through  that  town,  she  should 
gladly  pay  her  all  the  respect  and  honor  due  her  rani? 
and  character." 


176       COUBT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

Charles  Frederick,  Elector  of  Baden,  was  then 
seventy-seven  years  old.  He  had  lost  his  son,  and 
his  heir  was  his  grandson,  Charles  Frederick  Louis, 
Prince  Electoral,  then  twenty  years  old.  The  mother 
of  this  young  Prince,  the  Margravine  of  Baden,  enter- 
tained no  friendly  feelings  towards  France ;  and  he 
was  the  brother-in-law  of  the  Emperor  of  Russia,  who 
had  married  his  sister,  and  was  at  war  with  Napoleon. 
His  other  sister,  Frederica  Caroline,  had  married  the 
Elector  of  Bavaria,  and  he  was  betrothed  to  the  step- 
daughter of  this  Electress,  the  young  Princess  Au- 
gusta. They  were  said  to  be  much  attached  to  each 
other,  but  their  plans  of  happiness  were  destined  to 
be  sacrificed  to  Napoleon's  imperious  will,  for  he  pro- 
posed to  arrange  the  matches  of  the  German  Princes 
as  he  did  those  of  his  own  brothers.  The  Electoral 
Prince  of  Baden  and  the  old  Elector,  his  grandfather, 
far  from  complaining,  only  showed  to  the  Emperor 
most  unbounded  devotion. 

We  may  judge  of  their  attitude  and  their  respect 
by  this  despatch  of  M.  Massias,  charg^  d'affaires  at 
Carlsruhe,  addressed  to  Talleyrand,  under  date  of  No- 
vember 23,  1805 ;  "  My  Lord  M.  de  Canisy  reached 
here  from  headquarters  at  four  o'clock  this  morning, 
and  asked  me  to  inform  His  Most  Serene  Highness 
the  Elector  that  he  had  been  sent  by  Her  Majesty  the 
Empress,  who  meant  to  come  to  Carlsruhe  within  two 
or  three  days.  I  promised  to  do  this  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible, and  told  him  that  great  preparations  had  been 
made  to  receive  Her  Majesty  in  a  suitable  manner. 


THE  MABRIAGE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       177 

The  Elector,  to  whom  I  communicated  this  news  at 
seven  in  the  morning,  expressed  the  greatest  satisfac- 
tion, and  he  has  sent  me  word  that  in  order  to  carry- 
out  his  desire  to  give  Her  Majesty  a  proper  reception, 
he  wishes  me  to  send  a  message  to  Strassburg  to  find 
out,  1,  the  exact  day  when  she  will  arrive;  2,  the 
number  of  persons  in  her  suite,  and  how  many  horses 
she  will  need ;  3,  whether  she  desires  to  eat  alone  or 
with  the  principal  persons  of  her  own  and  the  Elec- 
toral court ;  4,  to  ask  to  have  at  once  sent  an  ofiScial 
of  the  court  to  arrange  the  quarters  and  the  cere- 
monies according  to  the  Empress's  wishes.  At  Kehl, 
Her  Majesty  will  find  a  carriage  and  eight  horses 
from  the  Elector's  stables.  Similar  relays  will  be 
placed  as  far  as  the  frontiers  of  Wiirtemberg.  Her 
Majesty  will  be  escorted  by  the  Electoral  cavalry. 
She  herself  will  determine  the  etiquette  to  be  ob- 
served at  the  court  of  Carlsruhe  during  her  entire 
stay. 

"  His  Most  Serene  Highness,  the  Prince  Electoral, 
will  go  as  far  as  Rastadt  to  meet  Her  Majesty.  The 
Margrave  Louis  will  meet  her  outside  of  Carlsruhe 
at  the  head  of  his  body-guard.  Bells  will  be  rung 
wherever  Her  Majesty  passes.  The  city  will  be  brill- 
iantly illuminated." 

November  28,  at  six  in  the  evening,  the  Empress 
formally  entered  Carlsruhe,  which  was  amid  a  general 
illumination.  At  the  Miihburger  gate  stood  an  arch 
of  triumph  under  which  she  passsd.  In  front  of  the 
arch  was  this  inscription :  Pro  Imperatrice  Josephina ; 


178       COITBT  OF  THE  UMPItESS  JOSEPHINE. 

on  the  other,  Votiva  lumina  ardent.  At  the  entrance 
of  the  castle  gate  stood  a  little  temple  bearing  this 
inscription  ;  Salve,  In  the  middle  of  the  garden  was 
a  larger  temple,  in  which  was  to  be  seen  on  a  pedestal 
the  Emperor's  bust,  crowned  with  laurels  and  sur- 
rounded with  palms.  The  inscription  ran :  Maximis 
triumpMs  sacrum^  —  "  Consecrated  to  the  greatest  tri- 
umphs." On  two  pyramids  was  to  be  read  this 
motto  :  "  Love  leads  to  glory."  November  29,  there 
was  a  grand  reception  and  concert  in  her  honor  at 
the  court.  At  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the 
30th,  she  left  Carlsruhe  for  Stuttgart,  after  an  affec- 
tionate farewell  to  the  Electoral  family. 

At  seven  that  evening  she  made  a  similar  formal 
entrance  into  the  capital  of  Wiirtemberg,  passing 
under  an  arch  of  triumph  bearing  her  name  sur- 
mounted by  an  Imperial  crown.  Soldiers  lined  the 
way  from  the  gate  to  the  Elector's  castle.  The  main 
street  was  decorated  with  Egyptian  altars,  and  was 
brilliantly  illuminated,  as  was  the  castle  also.  The 
Elector,  his  wife,  a  daughter  of  the  King  of  England, 
and  all  the  court  received  the  Empress  at  the  castle 
door  and  escorted  her  to  her  rooms,  where  she  supped. 
The  next  day  she  sat  on  a  platform  at  a  state  dinner 
in  the  white  hall.  Afterwards  the  company  went  to 
the  Opera  House,  where  Achilles  was  given.  After 
they  had  returned  to  the  castle  there  were  some  fine 
fireworks.  These  festivities  continued  until  Decem- 
ber 2,  when  Romeo  and  Juliet  was  given  for  the  first 
time,  and  the  3d,  at  seven  in  the  morning,  Josephine, 


THE  MAUniAGE  OF  PBINCE  EUGENE.       179 


after  bidding  the  family  farewell,  pushed  on  towards 
Munich,  while  the  troops  presented  arms  and  cannon 
were  fired. 

The  Empress  was  not  to  stop  between  Stuttgart, 
and  Munich,  but  on  her  way  she  saw  many  places 
that  had  just  become  famous  in  the  war.  As  she 
drew  near  them  she  looked  at  the  plain  where,  a 
few  days  before,  the  enemy's  army  had  marched  out 
before  Napoleon  and  laid  down  its  arms.  From 
Augsburg  to  Munich  everything  made  her  journey 
most  brilliant;  arches  of  triumph,  bands  of  music 
so  numerous  that  often  their  notes  mingled  with 
one  another,  wreaths  of  leaves,  successive  guards  of 
honor  who  joined  her,  composed  of  the  Royal  Guard 
of  Italy,  at  nearly  every  parting  station.  As  a  let- 
ter in  the  Moniteur  says,  "  Enthusiasm  succeeded  to 
fear,  the  whirl  of  festivities  to  the  lamentation  of 
battle ;  all  that  had  been  said  of  the  Empress's 
benevolence  seemed  still  to  make  part  of  her  suite, 
and  it  was  as  if  the  Angel  of  Peace  had  come  to 
visit  these  countries." 

The  Empress  reached  Munich  December  5,  eight 
days  after  leaving  Strassburg.  A  salute  of  a  hundred 
guns  welcomed  her.  In  almost  every  street  even 
houses  were  draped,  windows  adorned  with  trans- 
parent and  complimentary  figures ;  the  illuminations 
of  private  houses  rivalled  in  expense  and  splendor 
those  of  the  public  buildings.  State  carriages  were 
sent  out  to  the  city  gates  for  the  Empress  and  her 
suite,  but  Josejjhine  did  not  get  into  any  of  them ; 


180       COUBT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE, 

"  — — — ■ 

she  kept  on  her  travelling  dress.  This  did  not  mar 
the  brilliancy  of  the  entrance,  which  was  conspicuous 
for  universal  joy.  December  7,  she  went  to  the 
theatre,  where  Mozart's  Don  Juan  was  given,  and 
ihe  was  greeted  with  sound  of  trumpets  and  the 
applause  of  the  audience. 

The  Empress  had  scarcely  reached  Munich  before 
people  began  to  talk  about  an  early  marriage  between 
her  son,  Eugene  de  Beauharnais,  and  the  Princess 
Augusta,  the  daughter  of  the  Elector,  but  it  was  still 
merely  a  faint  rumor.  The  French  minister,  M.  Otto, 
wrote  December  16,  1805,  the  following  despatch  on 
the  subject  to  M.  de  Talleyrand:  "My  Lord, — 
Immediately  after  the  arrival  of  Her  Majesty  the 
Empress,  the  rumor  spread  that  His  Most  Serene 
Highness  Prince  Eugene  was  likewise  on  his  way 
to  Munich,  there  to  conclude  a  marriage  with  Prin- 
cess Augusta  of  Bavaria.  The  rumor  has  taken 
such  shape  in  the  last  few  days  that  a  foreign  lady, 
who  has  been  most  kindly  received  by  the  Electoral 
family,  ventured  to  ask  the  Elector  if  she  might 
congratulate  him  on  so  desirable  a  marriage.  This 
Prince  replied  that  he  knew  nothing  about  it;  that 
his  daughter  was  promised  to  the  Prince  of  Baden ; 
that  the  two  young  people  had  the  strongest  attach- 
ment for  each  other ;  and  that  only  day  before  yester- 
day the  Electress  had  received  from  Baden  a  most 
affectionate  letter  on  the  subject ;  and  that  he  loved 
his  daughter  too  much  to  wish  to  oppose  her  inclina- 
tions.    This  is  the  first  time  that  mention  has  been 


THE  MARRIAGE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       181 

made  at  court  of  a  matter  which  the  public  supposed 
settled  quite  differently.  The  Electress  was  present 
at  this  conversation,  and  corroborated  everytliing 
that  was  said  concerning  her  brother's  attachment 
to  the  Princess.  This  anecdote,  which  comes  to  me 
straight  from  the  castle,  proves  that  the  Baden 
marriage  is  not  broken,  as  has  been  said  at  Carls- 
ruhe,  unless  the  Elector  wished  to  conceal  the  truth 
from  the  lady  who  questioned  him  on  this  subject. 
Inquisitive  people  have  tried  to  make  out  the  true 
state  of  things  by  watching  the  conduct  of  Her 
Majesty  the  Empress  and  the  persons  of  her  suite. 
The  relations  of  the  two  courts  are  confined  to 
politeness  on  each  side,  to  social  attentions,  in  which 
Her  Majesty  exhibits  all  her  natural  amiability,  which 
wins  every  heart.  Beyond  that,  there  prevails  the 
greatest  reserve." 

Maximilian  Joseph,  Elector  of  Bavaria,  was  born  in 
1756,  and  was  then  fifty  years  old.  He  had  lost  his 
first  wife,  who  had  borne  him  one  daughter,  the  Prin- 
cess Augusta  Louisa,  who  was  born  in  1788.  His 
second  wife,  Caroline,  a  Princess  of  Baden,  sister  of 
the  hereditary  Prince  of  Baden,  to  whom  the  Prin- 
cess Augusta  was  betrothed,  was  then  thirty  years  old. 
Though  not  handsome,  she  was  not  devoid  of  charm, 
her  figure  was  good,  her  manners  were  amiable  and 
dignified.  The  young  Princess  Augusta  was  the 
ornament  of  the  Munich  court.  She  had  all  the 
freshness,  brilliancy,  and  charm  of  a  young  German 
girl  of  eighteen.    As  for  the   Elector,  he  was  an 


182        COVET  OF  THE  EMPBE8S  JOSEPHINE. 

attractive,  sympathetic  man,  who  combined  frank 
joviality  with  tact,  wit,  and  delicacy.  He  was  tall ; 
his  face  was  noble  and  regular.  He  liked  the  French, 
and  they  liked  him;  it  was  in  France  that  he  had 
spent  many  years  of  his  youth.  As  a  younger  prince 
of  the  house  of  Deux  Fonts  he  became  Elector  only 
by  the  extinction  of  the  branch  of  his  family  that 
reigned  in  Bavaria.  In  his  early  life  he  had  no  for- 
tune. In  the  reign  of  Louis  XVI.  he  served  in  the 
French  armies,  commanding  the  regiment  of  Alsace. 
At  the  court  of  Versailles,  as  in  the  garrison  at 
Strassburg,  he  had  left  behind  him  a  reputation  of 
good  manners  and  chivalrous  gallantry.  His  soldiers, 
who  adored  him,  called  him  Prince  Max.  At  that 
time  he  might  have  married  a  daughter  of  the  Prince 
of  Cond^,  but  his  father  and  his  uncle  objected  to 
this  match,  because,  since  he  was  not  rich,  he  would 
doubtless  have  been  compelled  to  make  some  of  his 
daughters  canonesses,  and  certain  chapters  would 
have  been  unwilling  to  receive  them  on  account  of 
their  illegitimate  descent  from  Louis  XIV.  and  Ma- 
dame de  Montespan.  He  was  fond  of  recalling  the 
last  years  of  the  old  regime  in  France,  and  spoke 
most  affectionately  of  that  country,  in  which  he  had 
been  very  happy.  He  was  worshipped  by  his  family, 
his  servants,  and  his  subjects.  There  was  never  a 
kinder,  more  amiable  prince.  Often  he  would  stroll 
unaccompanied  through  the  streets  of  Munich,  going 
to  the  markets,  bargain  over  grain,  enter  the  shops, 
talking  to  every  one,  especially  to  the  children,  whom 


THE  MARRIAGE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       183 

he  urged  to  go  to  their  schools.  He  was  at  once 
familiar  and  full  of  dignity,  and  he  was  as  much  re- 
spected as  loved.  There  were  many  points  of  resem- 
blance between  his  character  and  that  of  the  Empress 
Josephine,  and  they  had  a  very  strong  sympathy  for 
each  other. 

The  Empress  was  ailing  during  a  good  part  of  her 
stay  in  Munich,  and  whether  for  this  reason  or 
because  Napoleon,  who  was  always  moving  from 
place  to  place,  did  not  get  his  letters  regularly,  he 
was  for  some  time  without  news  from  his  wife.  He 
wrote  to  her  from  Brunn,  December  10,  1805 :  "  It  is 
a  long  time  since  I  have  heard  from  you.  Have  the 
grand  festivities  of  Baden,  Stuttgart,  and  Munich 
made  you  forget  the  poor  soldier  who  lives  covered 
with  mud,  rain,  and  blood  ?  I  am  going  to  leave  soon 
for  Vienna.  They  are  trying  to  make  peace.  The 
Russians  have  left  and  are  fleeing  far  from  here, 
going  back  to  Russia  badly  beaten  and  sorely  hu- 
miliated. I  am  anxious  to  be  with  you  once  more. 
Good  by,  my  dear ;  my  eyes  are  well  again." 

Napoleon  wrote  again  December  19,  renewing  his 
complaint:  "Great  Empress,  not  a  letter  from  you 
since  I  left  Strassburg.  You  have  passed  through 
Baden,  Stuttgart,  Munich,  without  writing  us  a  word. 
That  is  not  very  kind  or  very  affectionate!  I  am 
still  at  Brunn.  The  Russians  are  gone ;  we  have  a 
truce.  In  a  few  days  I  shall  see  what  is  to  become 
of  me.  Deign  from  the  giddy  height  of  your  gran- 
deur to  interest  yourself  a  little  in  your  slaves." 


184       COUBT  OF  THE  EMPBES8  JOSEPHINE, 

From  Schonbrunn  he  wrote  to  Josephine,  December 
20,  1805  (29th  Frimaire,  Year  XIY.)  :  "I  have  your 
letter  of  the  25th  [Frimaire].  I  am  sorry  to  hear 
that  you  are  not  well ;  that  is  not  a  good  preparation 
for  a  journey  of  a  hundred  leagues  at  this  time  of 
year.  I  don't  know  what  I  shall  do ;  that  depends 
on  what  happens.  I  have  no  will  of  my  own ;  I  am 
waiting  to  see  how  matters  settle  themselves.  Stay 
at  Munich,  amuse  yourself ;  that  is  not  hard,  amid  so 
many  pleasant  people,  in  such  a  charming  country. 
I  am  tolerably  busy.  In  a  few  davs  I  shall  have 
made  up  my  mind.     Good  by,  my  dear." 

December  26,  peace  was  signed  at  Pressburg  between 
France  and  Austria.  The  treaty  gave  to  the  King- 
dom of  Italy,  Istria,  Dalmatia,  and  Friuli;  to  the 
Elector  of  Wiirtemberg,  the  title  of  King  and  the 
Suabian  territory ;  to  the  Elector  of  Baden,  the  Breis- 
gau,  Ortenau,  and  the  town  of  Constanz;  to  the 
Elector  of  Bavaria,  the  title  of  King,  the  Vorarlburg, 
and  the  Tyrol.  But  Napoleon  had  determined  that 
these  indemnifications  should  be  paid  for  by  three 
marriages,  —  that  of  his  step-son.  Prince  Eugene,  with 
the  daughter  of  the  King  of  Bavaria ;  that  of  a  rela- 
tive of  his  wife.  Mademoiselle  Stephanie  de  Beauhar- 
nais,  with  the  hereditary  Prince  of  Baden ;  that  of  his 
brother  Jerome  with  the  daughter  of  the  King  of 
Wiirtemberg. 

Napoleon,  accompanied  by  Murat,  entered  Munich 
beneath  an  arch  of  triumph,  December  31,  1805,  at  a 
quarter  to  two  in  the  morning.     This  entrance  in  the 


THE  MABRIAGE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       185 

night,  lit  up  by  torches,  was  very  impressive.  The 
next  day,  January  1,  1806,  a  herald-at-arms,  escorted 
by  numerous  horsemen,  passed  through  the  differ  3nt 
quarters  of  the  city,  and  read  the  following  proclama- 
tion, after  a  flourish  of  drums  and  trumpets,  while 
an  immense  crowd  gathering  in  every  street  and 
cross  way  loudly  applauded :  "By  the  grace  of  God, 
the  dignity  of  the  sovereign  of  Bavaria  having  re- 
covered its  old-time  splendor,  and  this  State  having 
resumed  the  rank  it  formerly  held  for  the  happiness 
of  its  subjects  and  the  glory  of  the  country,  be  it 
known  that  His  Most  Serene  Highness  the  power- 
ful Prince  and  Lord  Maximilian  Joseph  is,  by  these 
presents,  solemnly  proclaimed  King  of  Bavaria  and 
of  all  the  countries  on  it  dependent.  Long  live 
and  happily  Maximilian  Joseph,  our  very  gracious 
King!  Long  live,  and  happily,  Caroline,  our  very 
gracious  Queen !  "  That  evening  the  whole  city  was 
full  of  joy,  and  the  next  day  was  celebrated  as  a 
national  festivity. 

Napoleon,  having  recaptured  the  twenty-nine  can- 
non and  the  twenty-one  Bavarian  flags  that  had  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  the  Austrians  by  the  chances  of  war 
and  the  occupation  of  the  country,  had  decided  to 
restore  to  his  faithful  allies  the  trophies  which  they 
had  valiantly  defended  and  whose  loss  they  mourned. 
In  the  morning  of  January  2,  all  citizen  soldiery  was 
under  arms,  lining  the  streets  through  which  was 
to  pass  the  procession  and  their  precious  burden. 
The  cannon  were  placed  on  carts  adorned  with  fes- 


186        COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 


toons  and  garlands,  each  cart  was  drawn  by  two  horses 
belonging  to  the  citizens ;  the  houses  were  also  deco- 
rated with  different  colored  ribbons.  All  the  young 
people  in  the  city  accompanied  these  carts.  The 
students  of  the  Royal  College  of  Cadets  carried  the 
flags.  When  the  procession  reached  the  grand  square,, ' 
a  large  chorus,  accompanied  by  a  large  band,  sang  a 
song  of  thanksgiving  and  victory.  The  populace  and 
the  soldiers  mingled  their  cheers  with  this  song. 
The  procession  then  made  its  way  to  the  Church  of 
Our  Lady,  where  a  Te  Deum  was  sung  with  great 
solemnity. 

January  4,  Napoleon  wrote  to  Prince  Eugene: 
"My  Cousin,  —  Within  twelve  hours  at  the  most,  after 
the  receipt  of  this  letter,  you  will  start  with  all  speed 
for  Munich.  Try  to  get  here  as  soon  as  possible,  so 
that  you  may  be  sure  to  see  me.  Leave  your  com- 
mand in  the  hands  of  the  general  of  division  whom 
you  judge  to  be  most  capable  and  upright.  You 
need  not  bring  a  large  suite.  Start  at  once,  and 
incognito,  and  so  avoid  both  dangers  and  delays. 
Send  me  a  messenger  to  give  me  twenty-four  hours' 
notice  of  your  arrival."  The  Emperor  had  decreed 
the  marriage  of  his  step-son  with  Princess  Augusta 
of  Bavaria,  but  he  had  to  go  through  certain  formal- 
ities to  overcome  the  objections  of  the  Queen  of 
Bavaria,  who  wanted  her  brother,  the  hereditary 
Prince  of  Baden,  to  marry  the  young  Princess.  Her 
family  pride  and  her  inmost  feelings  revolted  against 
the  admission  into  her  family  of  a  young  man  whom 


THE  MARRIAGE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       187 

she  looked  on  as  an  upstart.  She  sought  for  pretexts 
and  devices  to  delay,  if  not  to  prevent,  this  alliance. 
No  one  would  have  dared  to  say  at  Munich  that  the 
Emperor's  step-son  was  not  great  enough  to  marry 
a  king's  daughter,  but  she  found  fictitious  excuses :  it 
was  said  that  the  young  Princess  was  ailing,  and  at 
another  time  that  she  was  suffering  from  a  sprain. 
Napoleon,  who  sometimes  played  the  diplomatist, 
feigned  to  believe  in  these  alleged  ailments,  and  said 
that  he  would  send  his  own  surgeon  to  heal  her.  He 
would  gladly  have  returned  speedily  to  Paris,  where 
he  deemed  that  his  presence  was  necessary,  but  his 
Chamberlain,  M.  de  Thiard,  whom  his  previous  nego- 
tiations had  made  familiar  with  the  secrets  of  the  Bava- 
rian court,  advised  him  to  stay  in  Munich  until  the 
marriage  was  absolutely  settled.  "  Very  well,"  said 
the  Emperor;  "but  do  you  know  that  while  I  am 
here,  your  Faubourg  Saint  Germain  is  making  a  run 
on  my  bank,  and  that  my  stay  in  Munich  costs  me 
fifteen  hundred  thousand  francs  a  day?"  M.  de 
Thiard  insisted,  and  dared  to  show  Napoleon  the 
Queen  of  Bavaria's  ever-present  recollection  of  the 
Duke  of  Enghien,  which  was  the  secret  cause  of  her 
aversion  to  the  projected  alliance.  But  this  opposi- 
tion could  hold  out  for  only  a  few  hours;  no  one 
then  dared  to  brave  the  Imperial  wrath.  The  Queen, 
fearing  that  Napoleon's  surgeon  would  discover  that 
the  Princess's  alleged  sufferings  were  only  an  excuse, 
yielded  to  the  wishes  of  the  hero  of  Austerlitz.  The 
marriage  was  announced  even  before  the  couple  had 


188       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

met.  Everything  was  done  in  military  fashion. 
Orders  were  issued  that  they  should  love,  and  they 
loved. 

There  is  this  to  be  said  in  behalf  of  Napoleon:  that 
in  the  whole  matter  he  made  no  use  of  harsh  words 
or  rough  manners.  He  appeared  in  an  attractive, 
not  in  a  threatening  light,  and  by  dint  of  appearing 
smitten  with  the  Queen  of  Bavaria,  even  aroused 
Josephine's  jealousy. 

Prince  Eugene  arrived,  as  commanded,  January  10. 
He  had  the  good  fortune  to  please;  but  even  if  he 
had  not  pleased  it  would  have  made  no  difference. 
As  soon  as  he  reached  Munich,  after  travelling  day 
and  night,  the  Emperor  took  possession  of  him  and 
never  left  him.  The  Empress  was  still  in  bed  when 
her  son's  arrival  was  announcedc  She  was  much 
moved,  and  began  to  cry  at  the  thought  that  his  first 
visit  was  not  to  her.  A  moment  later,  while  she  was 
still  agitated,  she  saw  the  Emperor  burst  into  her 
room,  holding  the  young  Prince  by  the  hand,  and 
pushing  him  forward  as  he  exclaimed:  "Here, 
Madame,  is  your  great  booby  of  a  son  whom  I'm 
bringing  to  you."  Josephine  burst  into  tears,  and 
pressed  her  son  to  her  heart. 

Eugene  de  Beauharnais,  a  French  Prince,  and  Vice- 
roy of  Italy,  was  then  twenty-four  years  old.  Mad- 
emoiselle Avrillon,  reader  to  the  Empress,  thus  draws 
his  portrait :  "  Prince  Eugene's  face,  although  in  no 
way  remarkable,  was  rather  well  than  ill  favored ;  he 
was  of  medium  height,  well  proportioned,  and  stoutly 


THE  MAEEIAGE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       189 

made.  He  excelled  in  all  sorts  of  corporeal  exer- 
cises, and  was  an  accomplished  dancer.  Kind,  frank, 
simple  in  his  manners,  without  haughtiness  or  reserve, 
he  was  courteous  to  every  one ;  and  although  he  was 
not  devoid  of  deep  feelings,  his  most  striking  trait 
was  persistent  good  spirits.  He  was  very  fond  of 
music,  and  sang  very  well,  especially  Italian  songs, 
which  all  his  family  preferred.  As  he  was  young,  he 
naturally  paid  many  women  attention,  as  I  have  often 
seen,  but  he  always  treated  them  with  great  respect." 
Napoleon  was  very  fond  of  him,  and  looked  upon  him 
as  his  pupil,  as  his  own  child.  He  was  delighted 
with  the  way  Eugene  discharged  his  duties  as  Vice- 
roy, and  when  he  received  his  despatches  he  ex- 
claimed in  the  presence  of  several  marshals,  "I 
knew  very  well  to  whom  I  had  entrusted  my  sword 
in  Italy."  He  often  gratified  Josephine  by  saying, 
"  Eugene  may  serve  as  a  model  to  all  the  young  men 
of  his  age." 

The  young  Prince  showed  great  tact  and  intelli- 
gence in  his  first  meetings  with  his  future  wife.  He 
sought  every  means  of  pleasing  her,  paid  her  assiduous 
court,  as  if  their  marriage  was  still  undetermined.  He 
was  able  to  overcome  the  Princess's  prejudices,  for 
she  had  given  her  consent  only  at  the  last  moment, 
as  a  victim  sacrificed  for  reasons  of  state.  Her 
father,  the  King,  dreading  the  excitement  of  an  inter- 
view, had  written  to  her  a  letter,  in  which  he  set 
out  all  the  advantages  of  the  match  desired  by  the 
Emperor,  vaunted  the  good  qualities  of  the  young 


190       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

'  ■  * 

and  dashing  Viceroy  of  Italy,  and  to  prove  that  it 
was  a  brilliant  match,  revealed  to  her  what  was 
then  unknown,  that  at  Pressburg  the  Austrian  Min- 
ister had  offered  to  Napoleon  for  his  stepson  the 
hand  of  one  of  their  Archduchesses.  "Consider, 
dear  Augusta,  that  a  refusal  would  make  the  Emperor 
as  much  the  enemy  as  he  has  been  hitherto  the  friend 
of  our  house."  And  he  ended  his  letter  with  a  last 
appH^l  to  his  daughter's  patriotic  devotion.  The 
young  Princess  replied  by  writing :  "  I  place  my  fate 
in  your  hands;  however  cruel  it  may  be,  it  will  be 
softened  by  the  knowledge  that  I  am  sacrificed  for 
my  father,  my  family,  and  my  country.  On  her 
knees  your  daughter  prays  for  your  blessing ;  it  will 
aid  me  to  bear  my  sad  lot  with  resignation."  The 
girl's  unhappiness  soon  gave  way  to  joy.  The  Em- 
press had  spoken  to  her  most  warmly  of  Eugene's 
qualities,  his  bravery,  loyalty,  and  gallantry,  and  the 
Princess  found  out  that  Josephine  was  right.  She 
forgot  her  cousin,  the  Prince  of  Baden,  fell  instanta- 
neously in  love  with  Eugene,  and  this  marriage  for 
reasons  of  state  turned  out  to  be  a  love  match.  It 
was  celebrated  with  great  pomp  in  the  Royal  Chapel, 
January  14,  four  days  after  the  bridegroom's  arrival 
at  Munich.  The  Emperor  adopted  Prince  Eugene, 
and  gave  him  in  the  marriage  contract  the  name  of 
Napoleon  Eugene  of  France.  This  adoption  wrought 
a  great  change  in  their  correspondence;  previously 
the  Emperor  when  he  wrote  to  the  Viceroy  addressed 
him  as,  "  My  Cousin  " ;  henceforth  he  always  wrote, 


THE  MARRIAGE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.        191 

"  My  Son.''  Madame  Murat,  who  was  then  at  Munich, 
was  pained  to  see  that  the  new  Vice-Queen,  as  wife 
of  the  Emperor's  adopted  son,  took  precedence  of 
her  at  all  ceremonies,  and  she  feigned  an  illness  to 
avoid  what  seemed  to  her  an  affront. 

On  her  wedding  day  the  Princess  charmed  every 
one  by  her  grace.  She  was  tall,  well  shaped,  with  the 
figure  of  a  nymph,  and  a  face  in  which  sweetness  was 
blended  with  dignity.  Moreover,  she  was  very  well 
educated,  was  pious  and  modest,  and  the  possessor  of 
all  the  family  virtues.  In  short,  she  was  a  model 
wife  and  mother.  She  vrrote  to  the  Emperor  a  letter 
of  thanks  that  touched  him.  He  answered  it,  Jan- 
uary 27 :  "  My  Daughter,  —  Your  letter  is  as  amia- 
ble as  you  are  yourself.  My  feelings  for  you  will 
only  grow  from  day  to  day;  this  I  know  from  my 
pleasure  in  recalling  your  fine  qualities,  and  from  the 
need  I  feel  for  your  frequent  assurance  that  you  are 
satisfied  with  every  one  and  happy  with  your  hus- 
band. Amid  all  I  have  to  do,  nothing  will  be  dearer 
to  me  than  the  chance  to  assure  my  children's  happi- 
ness. Be  sure,  Augusta,  that  I  love  you  like  a  father, 
and  that  I  count  on  a  daughter's  affection  for  me. 
Travel  slowly,  and  be  careful  in  the  new  climate 
when  you  get  there,  and  take  plenty  of  rest." 

January  21,  Prince  Eugene  left  Munich  with  his 
young  wife  for  Milan.  The  next  day  M.  Otto,  the 
French  Minister,  wrote  to  M.  de  Talleyrand :  "  His 
Imperial  Highness  Prince  Eugene  left  yesterday 
morning  with  his  young  wife.     The  King  escorted 


192       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

them  to  tlieir  carriage  with  every  indication  of  affec- 
tion. It  was  noticed  that  in  taking  leave  of  the 
Prince  he  embraced  him  several  times.  The  separa- 
tion cost  the  Princess  some  tears.  Their  departure 
was  announced  by  firing  a  hundred  guns.  The  best 
wishes  of  all  good  Bavarians  accompanied  the  pair. 
The  stay  of  the  French  court  at  Munich  has  left  the 
deepest  and  most  lasting  impression.  The  Emperor's 
greatness  and  power  were  known,  but  the  effect  of 
his  extreme  kindness  and  magnificence  had  to  be  seen 
at  a  closer  view  to  be  appreciated.  I  feel  able  to 
assure  His  Majesty  that  the  Bavarian  nation  will 
always  be  his  faithful  and  devoted  allies.  So  many 
happy  memories  are  attached  to  this  period  of  our 
history  that  His  Majesty  can  flatter  himself  that  he 
has  accomplished  the  most  difficult  of  all  conquests, 
—  that  of  the  love  of  the  people  who  have  witnessed 
his  successes." 

While  the  Viceroy  and  Vice-Queen  of  Italy  were 
proceeding  towards  Milan,  the  Emperor  and  the  Em- 
press were  on  their  way  to  France,  stopping  at  Stutt- 
gart and  Carlsruhe,  where  they  were  warmly  greeted. 
January  20,  1806,  they  found  an  arch  of  triumph 
built  on  a  Roman  model  at  Entzberg,  in  Baden.  It 
bore  this  inscription:  Imperatori  Napoleoni  trium- 
phatori  augusto.  The  bas-relief  represented  the  cap- 
ture of  Ulm  and  the  delivery  of  the  keys  of  Vienna. 
Columns  and  obelisks  had  been  erected  at  Carlsruhe 
with  these  inscriptions:  Sostium  victori.  —  Patriam 
servavit.  —  Pacem  restituit.    In  front  of  the  castle  had 


THE  MABBIAGE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.        193 

been  built  a  temple  of  Peace.  At  the  French  frontier 
stood  an  arch  of  triumph  with  this  inscription  :  Heroi 
reduei  G-allice  plaudunt,  —  "  Gaul  applauds  the  return- 
ing hero."  The  bas-reliefs  represented  the  battle  of 
Austerlitz  and  the  interview  between  the  two  Em- 
perors. In  the  night  of  January  26,  Napoleon  and 
Josephine  were  back  at  the  Tuileries.  Prince  Eu- 
gene's marriage  put  a  happy  ending  to  the  campaign 
just  finished.  To  create  a  king  and  to  give  to  his 
step-son  the  hand  of  this  king's  daughter  was  a  stroke 
of  imagination  on  Napoleon's  part  that  did  honor  to 
his  omnipotence.  The  accounts  of  the  triumphal  fes- 
tivities in  Munich,  Stuttgart,  and  Carlsruhe  followed 
close  upon  the  bulletins  announcing  the  victories  of 
the  Grand  Army,  and  produced  a  great  impression  in 
both  Germany  and  France. 


XVII. 

PAEIS   IN  THE  BEGINNING   OF   1806. 

nVTAPOLEON  arranged  his  return  with  the  utmost 
-lJ\  skill.  His  prolonged  stay  at  Munich  kept  alive 
the  impatience  of  the  Parisians  for  his  return,  and 
meanwhile  there  was  a  constant  stream  of  flattery 
and  enthusiasm.  January  1,  1806,  had  just  put  an 
end  to  the  Republican  calendar,  which  had  existed 
for  thirteen  years,  three  months,  and  a  few  days. 
The  Year  XIV.  found  itself  suddenly  interrupted  by 
the  return  to  the  Gregorian  calendar.  Thus  vanished 
the  last  trace  of  the  Republic.  The  same  day  the  new 
year  was  inaugurated  with  a  patriotic  ceremony.  The 
Tribune  carried  with  great  solemnity  to  the  Senate 
the  forty-four  Russian  and  Austrian  flags  which  the 
hero  of  Austerlitz  had  entrusted  to  its  care.  All  the 
houses  in  the  streets  through  which  the  procession 
was  to  pass  were  decorated.  In  front  of  many  of 
them  were  to  be  seen  the  Emperor's  bust  crowned 
with  laurels.  The  ever  lyrical  Moniteur  said:  "At 
the  sight  of  these  noble  spoils,  these  startling  proofs 
of  the  heroism  of  the  French  army,  all  hearts  seemed 
to  meet  in  a  common  feeling  of  admiration  and  grati- 
194 


PARIS  IN  THE  BEGINNING   OF  1806.  195 

tude  wliich  was  but  faintly  expressed  by  the  shouts 
issuing  from  the  crowd  and  from  every  window,  of 
'  Long  live  the  Emperor  I '  '  Hurrah  for  the  Grand 
Army  I '  '  Victory,  victory ! '  '  Long  live  the  Empe- 
ror !  *  It  was  in  this  way  that  the  people  of  Paris, 
of  all  classes,  of  both  sexes,  of  all  ages,  manifested 
in  the  most  vivid  and  unanimous  way  their  devo- 
tion and  gratitude  to  His  Majesty  and  his  victorious 
armies." 

One  Tribune,  M.  Joubert,  exclaimed :  "Is  not  Napo- 
leon the  man  of  history,  the  man  of  all  ages  ?  May 
we  not  say  that  there  is  something  supernatural  in 
him,  since  it  is  true  that  God  disposes  of  the  fate  of 
empires,  and  that  Napoleon  the  Great  gladly  submits 
everything  to  Providence  and  ascribes  everything  to 
religion?"  In  their  official  enthusiasm  the  Tribunes, 
as  accomplished  courtiers,  made  one  motion  after 
another.  One  proposed  that  the  Emperor  on  his 
return  should  receive  triumphal  honors,  like  those  of 
ancient  Rome,  and  the  city  of  Paris  should  go  to 
meet  him.  Another  suggested  that  the  sword  which 
he  wore  at  the  battle  of  Austerlitz  should  be  solemnly 
consecrated  and  placed  in  some  public  monument. 
Another  expressed  a  desire  that  on  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal places  in  the  city  a  column  should  be  set  up, 
bearing  the  Emperor's  statue,  with  this  inscription : 
"  To  Napoleon  the  Great,  the  grateful  country."  The 
Senate,  with  similar  zeal,  hastened  to  carry  out  the 
plan  by  a  decree. 

The  Parisians,  who  always  worship  success  of  men- 


196       COURT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 


archs,  generals,  or  artists,  then  felt  the  wildest  admi- 
ration for  the  victorious  Napoleon.  The  Moniteur 
was  full  of  dithyrambic  eulogies,  in  prose  and  verse. 
Flattery  appeared  as  it  had  never  appeared  before. 
Bishops  became  conspicuous  for  their  ardent  praise ; 
some  phrases  from  their  charges  may  be  quoted. 
Thus  the  Bishop  of  Versailles  said:  "God  says: 
'  No  one  shall  resist  him  whom  I  have  clothed  with  a 
special  mission  to  re-establish  my  worship,  to  lead  my 
chosen  people ;  no  one  will  resist  him  because  I  am 
with  him,  and  he  is  with  me.     Deus  cum  eo.' " 

The  Bishop  of  Bayonne:  ''Behold  our  enemies 
once  more  defeated.  Let  incredulity  be  silent  and 
the  atheist  confounded.  Our  annals  will  be  the 
story  of  the  wonders  of  Providence.  .  .  .  Widows, 
cease  to  bemoan  the  loss  of  a  loved  husband;  you 
are  not  left  alone;  you  belong  to  the  country. 
Orphans,  you  have  found  another  father ;  Napoleon 
has  adopted  you." 

The  Bishop  of  Rennes:  "Did  not  those  kings 
know,  or  did  they  forget  in  their  delirium,  that  the 
French  nation  is  now  the  first  nation  in  the  world? 
Did  they  not  know  that  the  man  who  governs  it 
is  the  most  astounding  man  in  the  world,  and  the 
greatest  warrior  history  has  ever  known  ?  " 

The  Bishop  of  Coutances  :  "  The  Almighty  wishes' 
Napoleon  to  attain  this  new  glory  and  hence  impresses 
upon  him  a  sort  of  divine  character.  He  wishes  him 
to  attain  it  on  the  same  day  and  at  the  same  hour 
that  the  Sovereign  Pontiff,  one  year  ago,  poured  on 
his  brow  the  holy  oil." 


PABIS  IN  THE  BEGINNING    OF  1806.         197 

The  Bishop  of  Montpellier :  "  Let  the  earth  be 
shaken,  and  the  mountains  cast  into  the  bosom  of 
the  seas ;  our  God  blesses  the  views,  the  wisdom,  the 
talents,  and  the  courage  of  our  august  monarch." 

The  Emperor,  in  dividing  the  flags  which  he  had 
captured  from  Russia  and  Austria,  had  given  fifty- 
four  to  the  Senate,  eight  to  the  Tribunes,  eight  to, 
the  city  of  Paris,  and  fifty  to  the  church  of  Notre 
Dame,  which  he  wished  to  adorn  with  his  trophies  as 
the  Marshal  of  Luxembourg  had  done  in  the  reign  of 
Louis  XIV.  The  day  when  these  fifty  flags  were 
given  tc  the  Cathedral  the  Cardinal  Archbishop  of 
France  said,  "  O  Posterity,  when  you  read  our  history 
you  will  imagine  that  you  are  reading  anew  the  fall  of 
the  walls  of  Jericho,  and  listening  to  the  miraculous 
deeds  of  Joshua,  David,  and  Judas  Maccabseus.  Berv- 
edictus  Dominus  qui  facit  mirahilia  solus.  .  .  .  God 
of  Marengo,  you  declare  yourself  the  God  of  Auster- 
litz ;  and  the  German  eagle,  the  Russian  eagle,  aban- 
doned by  you,  became  the  prey  of  the  French  eagle, 
which  you  never  cease  to  protect."  A  singular  piece 
of  flattery  this,  to  call  the  Creator  of  the  universe  — 
of  which  this  earth  is  not  a  millionth  part  —  the  God 
of  a  village,  because  near  this  village  a  man  has 
wrought  the  death  of  many  other  men  I 

Paris  seemed  to  have  recovered  its  ardor  of  the 
first  days  of  the  Revolution  in  order  to  salute  the 
triumphant  hero.  The  day  of  his  arrival,  January 
27, 1806,  the  managers  of  the  bank,  anxious  that  his 
presence  should  be  the  signal  for  public  prosperity, 


198       COURT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

ordered  the  resumption  of  specie  payments.  The 
Opera  celebrated  his  return  and  that  of  the  Empress 
by  a  grand  performance  which  took  place  February  4. 
The  bills  announced  the  Pretendus  and  a  divertise- 
ment.  The  public  knew  that  this  divertisement  was 
to  be  a  sort  of  apotheosis  in  honor  of  the  Imperial 
glories.  The  house  was  crowded,  and  the  passages 
themselves  were  crammed  by  the  enthusiastic  crowd. 
During  the  second  act  of  the  PrStendus  there  was 
great  excitement  over  the  arrival  of  Napoleon  and 
Josephine.  Applause  resounded  from  every  side. 
Ladies  distributed  laurel  branches,  which  all  the 
spectators  waved,  shouting,  "Long  live  the  Em- 
peror I "  Musicians  played  the  chorus  of  the  Caravan, 
Meanwhile,  the  scenery  of  the  PrStendus  disappeared, 
and  applause  began  over  the  magnificent  decorations 
that  took  its  place.  It  was  a  semicircular  enclosure 
with  trophies  forming  a  colonnade  showing  the  course 
of  the  Seine  from  the  Pont  Neuf  to  the  western  limit 
of  Paris,  showing  the  Louvre,  which  Napoleon  had 
promised  to  complete,  the  Pont  des  Arts,  the  Palais 
de  la  Monnaie,  the  Tuileries,  and  in  the  misty  dis- 
tance the  Champs  Elys^es  overlooking  this  fine  view. 
The  interior  of  the  enclosure  was  adorned  with  gar- 
lands and  crowded  with  people,  awaiting  the  return 
of  the  Grand  Army.  This  appeared  with  a  military 
march:  the  sappers  in  front  with  their  axes  and 
white  aprons ;  the  grenadiers  of  the  Guard  with 
their  high  fur  caps ;  the  artillerymen  with  their  black 
caps;   the  dragoons  with  their  double  armor;  the 


PARIS  IN   THE  BEGINNING  OF  1806.     *    199 

Mamelukes  with  their  scimetars.  Then  came,  the 
Bavarians,  worthy  comrades  of  Napoleon's  soldiers. 
The  people  applauded  their  defenders.  Pupils  of 
the  military  schools  sprang  into  the  ranks  to  wel- 
come their  fathers,  while  old  men  embraced  their 
children.  A  general  chorus  was  heard.  Then  a 
warrior  came  to  the  front  of  the  stage  and  celebrated 
in  a  hymn  the  marvels  of  the  campaign  of  Austerlitz. 
This  was  followed  by  a  ballet  of  foreign  nations,  in 
which  joined  French  peasants  and  girls  in  the  dress 
of  their  provinces,  from  Caux  and  Alsace,  Provence, 
Bdarn,  Auvergne,  and  the  Alps.  After  the  dances 
came  songs,  —  the  words  by  Esm^nard,  author  of  the 
Navigation,  the  music  by  Stobelt.  The  marches, 
evolutions,  and  ballet  were  arranged  by  Gardel.  The 
principal  stanzas  were  sung  by  the  most  distinguished 
artists,  Lainez,  Lais,  Madame  Armand,  Madame 
Branchu.  When  it  was  all  over,  the  Emperor  and 
the  Empress  withdrew  amid  applause,  and  there  was 
sung  the  Vivat  of  Abb^  Rose  which  had  made  such 
a  success  at  Notre  Dame  on  Coronation  Day,  and  was 
as  warmly  applauded  at  the  Opera  as  it  had  been  in 
the  Cathedral. 


XVIII. 

THE  MAERIAGB  OF  THE  PRINCE  OF  BADBIT. 

IF  anything  is  capable  of  proving  the  admiration, 
terror,  and  fascination  that  the  hero  of  Austerlitz 
exercised  over  Europe,  and  especially  over  Germany, 
in  1806,  it  is  certainly  the  marriage  of  the  hereditary 
Prince  of  Baden  with  Mademoiselle  Stephanie  de 
Beauharnais.  It  was  a  curious  sight!  A  Prince 
belonging  to  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  illustrious 
families  in  the  world,  whose  three  sisters  had  mar- 
ried, one,  the  Emperor  of  Russia ;  another,  the  King 
of  Sweden ;  the  third,  the  King  of  Bavaria ;  a  Prince 
who  might  have  allied  himself  with  the  oldest  reign- 
ing houses  had  come  to  regard  as  an  honor  a  mar- 
riage with  the  plain  daughter  of  a  French  senator,  — 
a  girl  not  united  by  any  ties  of  blood  with  Napoleon, 
but  only  by  adoption ;  that  is  to  say,  by  a  whim. 
One  might  have  supposed  that  the  Empire  of  the 
new  Charlemagne  was  centuries  old,  and  the  German 
Princes  bowed  before  it  like  devoted  vassals  before 
their  suzerain.  What  a  vast  power  he  had  attained, 
and  how  easily  he  could  have  kept  it,  if  he  had  lim- 
ited his  ambition,  and  put  bounds  to  his  power,  and 
200 


MARRIAGE  OF  THE  PRINCE  OF  BADEN.      201 

had  not  asked  of  docile  Germany  more  than  it  could 
give  him ! 

The  marriage  of  Mademoiselle  Stephanie  de  Beau- 
harnais  with  the  hereditary  Prince  of  Baden  was  at 
first  warmly  opposed  by  the  Margravine,  this  Prince's 
mother.  M.  Massias,  French  charg^  d'affaires  at 
Baden,  had  written  on  this  matter  to  M.  de  Talley- 
rand, Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  January  6,  1806 : 
"  My  Lord,  —  For  some  days  there  has  been  a  rumor 
quietly  circulating  among  the  principal  persons  of 
the  court  of  Carlsruhe  that  the  object  of  M.  de 
Thiard's  last  journey  was  to  arrange  the  marriage 
of  the  Electoral  Prince  of  Baden  with  the  daughter 
of  Senator  Beauharnais.  Last  evening  arrived  a  mes- 
senger from  the  Electress  of  Bavaria  for  the  Margra- 
vine, the  mother  of  this  Prince.  I  have  learned  by 
chance  the  contents  of  this  missive  to  his  mother. 
She  says  substantially  that  she  has  had  a  talk  of  more 
than  an  hour  with  the  Emperor  Napoleon ;  that  His 
Majesty  promised  that  the  marriage  of  the  Electoral 
Prince  of  Baden  with  Mademoiselle  Beauharnais 
should  never  take  place  without  the  consent  of  the 
Margravine;  and  in  case  of  her  refusal  of  this  con- 
sent, he  would  only  reserve  to  himself  the  right  of 
being  consulted  on  the  choice  of  the  wife  to  be  given 
to  this  young  Prince.  .  .  .  The  Electoral  Prince 
called  on  his  mother  after  she  had  received  this 
despatch,  and  was  with  her  alone  for  two  hours ;  he 
came  away  in  great  dejection.  When  he  got  to  his 
grandfather's,  he  exclaimed,  involuntarily,  *  That 
woman  is  lost ;  she  wants  to  ruin  herself  I'  " 


202        COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

The  chargd  d'affaires  ended  his  letter  with  this 
sketch  of  the  Margravine :  "I  have  known  the  Mar- 
gravine for  six  years,  and  I  think  I  can  say  that 
if  she  judges  the  match  in  question  opposed  to  the 
pride  inspired  by  the  first  ideas  of  her  education,  no 
persuasion  can  move  her.  She  possesses  to  a  very 
marked  degree  the  confident  obstinacy  of  feeble  and 
timid  spirits.  She  does  not  dare  to  dismiss  an  incom- 
petent footman ;  and  when  she  has  once  made  up  her 
mind,  which  is  only  possible  in  matters  about  which 
her  opinions  are  rigidly  formed,  neither  force  nor  per- 
suasion can  modify  her.  That  is  my  reading  of  her 
character,  and  I  think  it  the  true  one." 

The  more  the  Margravine  opposed  this  match 
which  the  Emperor  had  suggested,  the  more  the 
young  Prince  of  Baden  and  his  grandfather,  the 
Elector,  desired  it.  M.  Massias  wrote  again  to  M.  de 
Talleyrand,  January  9,  1806 :  "  His  Most  Serene 
Highness,  the  Prince  Electoral  of  Baden,  is  to  leave  to- 
morrow for  Ulm  and  Augsburg,  to  invite,  in  his  grand- 
father's name,  His  Majesty  the  Emperor  and  King  to 
honor  Carlsruhe  with  his  presence,  and  to  stay  at  the 
castle  on  his  way  back  to  France.  But,  he  tells  me 
himself,  the  main  object  of  his  journey  is  to  convince 
His  Majesty  that  the  marriage  of  which  I  had  the 
honor  to  speak  to  Your  Excellency  in  my  last  letter, 
is  far  from  opposing  his  desires  ;  and  he  hopes  to  dis- 
sipate without  difficulty  the  doubts  which  it  has  been 
sought  to  raise  regarding  this  in  the  mind  of  His 
Majesty,  for  whom  he  always  manifested  a  profound 
devotion  and  a  sincere  attachment," 


MARRIAGE  OF  THE  PRINCE  OF  BADEN.     203 

What  was  the  origin  of  this  young  girl  whose  hand 
was  thus  sought  by  the  hereditary  Prince  of  Baden  ? 
The  Marquis  of  Beauharnais,  the  father  of  the  Vis- 
count of  Beauharnais,  the  first  husband  of  the  Empress 
Josephine,  had  a  brother.  Count  Claude  de  Beauhar- 
nais, who  was  a  commodore,  and  married  Mademoiselle 
Fanny  Mouchard.  Countess  Fanny,  a  friend  of  Dorat 
and  Cubi^res,  took  much  interest  in  literature  and 
wrote  many  novels.  She  was  a  blue-stocking,  and  it 
was  about  her  that  Lebrun  wrote  the  malicious 
epigram :  — 

"  Egl6,  fair  and  a  poetess,  has  then  two  slight  faults : 
She  makes  her  face  and  does  not  make  her  verses." 

By  her  marriage  with  Count  Claude  de  Beauhar- 
nais, the  Countess  Fanny  (born  in  1738,  died  in 
1813)  had  one  son,  named  Claude  after  his  father, 
who  married  the  daughter  of  the  Count  of  Lezay- 
Marn^sia.  They  had  a  daughter,  St<^phanie  de  Beau- 
harnais, born  August  28,  1789,  who  was  adopted  by 
Napoleon,  married  the  hereditary  Prince  of  Baden, 
became  the  grandduchess  of  this  country,  and  died 
in  1860,  much  loved  by  her  family  and  the  people  of 
Baden.  Her  father,  Claude  de  Beauharnais,  was  a 
senator  in  the  Empire,  a  peer  of  France  at  the  Res- 
toration, and  died  in  1819. 

During  the  childhood  of  Mademoiselle  Stephanie 
de  Beauharnais  no  one  would  have  predicted  the  lofty 
destiny  that  awaited  her.  Her  father,  having  lost  his 
wife,  entrusted  her  to  a  pious  old  aunt,  who  lived  at 
Montauban,  and  there  she  remained  in  obscurity  until 


204       COURT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

it  occurred  to  her  uncle,  M.  de  Lezay-Marn^sia,  to 
take  her  to  Paris,  and  present  her  to  the  wife  of  the 
First  Consul.  Josephine,  her  cousin  once  removed, 
thought  her  pretty  and  bright,  became  very  fond  of 
her,  and  sent  her  to  finish  her  education  at  Madame 
Campan's  boarding-school  at  Saint  Germain.  Madame 
Campan  wrote  to  Madame  Louis  about  her  young  pupil 
as  follows :  "  I  am  certainly  surprised  at  the  way  Ma- 
demoiselle Stephanie  has  turned  out  since  she  returned 
from  Saint  Leu.  She  may  become  a  very  charming 
woman,  but  not  if  she  stays  at  Saint  Cloud.  Royal  pal- 
aces have  never  been  good  schools ;  pleasures,  the  taste 
for  excitement  and  flattery,  corrupt  not  merely  those 
who  are  young,  but  even  those  who  go  there  already 
matured,  unless  they  are  protected  by  the  highest 
principles.  If  you  have  the  power,  do  try  to  let  me 
keep  Stephanie  until  she  marries ;  you  will  thereby 
render  her  a  great  service,  and  to  me,  too ;  for  the 
result  will  condemn  me  in  the  eyes  of  the  Emperor, 
who  will  say,  with  a  sharp  glance, '  That's  very  bad ' ; 
and  will  not  have  time  to  ascertain  the  real  reason. 
I  can  assure  you  that  in  a  year  she  will  be  very 
charming,  if  I  can  only  keep  my  hand  on  her." 

In  the  same  letter  Madame  Campan  thus  describes 
her  pupil's  character:  "It  is  a  curious  compound 
of  ease  at  learning,  self-love,  emulation,  idleness, 
amiability,  clear-mindedness,  levity,  haughtiness,  and 
piety.  There  are  a  good  many  qualities  to  dispose 
of,  and  on  this  proper  arrangement  depends  her  hap- 
piness or  unhappiness,  and  my  success  or  failure." 


MABBIAOE  OF  THE  PRINCE  OF  BADEN.     205 

In  personal  appearance  Mademoiselle  de  Beauharnais 
was  very  charming ;  she  had  a  good  figure,  an  expres- 
sive countenance,  a  brilliant  complexion,  bright  blue 
eyes,  light  hair,  and  an  agreeable  voice.  Moreover, 
her  manners  were  good,  she  had  keen  mother  wit, 
much  gaiety  and  enthusiasm,  and  was,  in  short,  a 
very  attractive  young  person. 

The  Emperor  had  a  sort  of  infatuation  for  her, 
and  treated  her  with  exceptional  kindness  that  did 
not  fail  to  excite  comment.  Although  her  father 
was  still  living,  he  decided  to  adopt  her,  and  this 
was  thought  a  singular  thing  to  do.  The  young 
Stephanie  became  an  Imperial  Highness  and  took 
precedence  of  the  Emperor's  sisters,  while  her  father 
was  merely  one  of  the  herd  of  senators.  In  the 
decree  of  March  3,  1806,  it  was  said:  "Our  inten- 
tion being  that  our  daughter  the  Princess  Stephanie 
Napoleon,  shall  enjoy  all  the  prerogatives  due  to  her 
rank ;  at  receptions,  festivities,  and  at  table  she  shall 
sit  at  our  side,  and  in  our  absence  she  shall  take  her 
place  at  the  right  of  Her  Majesty  the  Empress." 
Josephine  possibly  thought  that  her  young  relative 
was  a  little  too  well  treated  by  the  Emperor,  and  that 
his  feelings  for  her  were  not  wholly  paternal.  Evil 
tongues  asserted  that  Napoleon  was  in  love  with  his 
adopted  daughter,  but  in  spite  of  those  malicious  in- 
sinuations, no  serious  charge  can  be  brought  against 
her  innocence.  Her  betrothed,  the  Prince  of  Baden, 
was  madly  in  love  with  her,  and  showed  by  his  con- 
duct that  it  was  he  who  was  making  a  fine  mariiage. 


206       COURT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

Mademoiselle  de  Beauharnais  from  the  moment  that 
she  assumed  the  name  of  Napoleon  imagined  that 
nothing  was  too  good  for  her.  It  was  only  by  con- 
descension that  she  married  the  son  of  an  elector, 
for  she  was  never  tired  of  saying,  to  her  adopted 
father's  great  delight,  that  an  emperor's  daughter 
could  marry  either  a  king  or  a  king's  son. 

The  marriage  was  celebrated  with  great  pomp  in 
the  chapel  of  the  Palace  of  the  Tuileries,  April  8, 
1806,  at  eight  in  the  evening.  The  witnesses  for  the 
bridegroom  were  the  Crown  Prince  of  Bavaria,  Baron 
de  Gueusau,  and  M.  de  Dalberg ;  those  of  the  bride 
were  M.  de  Talleyrand,  M.  de  Champagny,  and  M. 
de  S^gur.  The  procession  went  from  the  grand 
apartments  to  the  chapel  in  the  following  order :  the 
Empress,  preceded  by  the  officers  of  the  Princesses, 
accompanied  by  the  Prince  of  Baden,  the  Princesses, 
and  the  Crown  Prince  of  Bavaria,  and  followed  by 
the  ladies  of  her  household  and  of  those  of  the 
Princesses ;  the  Emperor,  conducting  the  bride,  and 
preceded  by  the  officers  of  the  Princes,  his  own 
officers,  the  Grand  Dignitaries  of  the  Empire,  the 
Ministers,  the  High  Officers  of  the  Crown,  and 
followed  by  the  colonel-general  of  the  guard  on 
duty.  At  the  chapel  door  the  clergy,  received  Napo- 
leon and  Josephine  beneath  a  canopy,  and  they  took 
their  places  on  two  small  thrones  in  front  of  the  altar, 
while  the  Prince  of  Baden  and  the  bride  took  their 
places  on  two  stools  at  the  foot  of  its  steps.  The 
ceremony  began  with  the  blessing  of  thirteen  pieces 


MAKEtlAQE  OF  THE  PBINCE  OF  BADEN.     207 

of  gold  which  the  Cardinal  Caprara,  Legate  a  latere^ 
gave  to  the  Prince  of  Baden,  who  presented  them 
to  his  bride.  The  Cardinal  gave  them  the  nuptial 
blessing.  Meanwhile  Monsignor  Charier-Lavoche, 
Bishop  of  Versailles,  the  Emperor's  First  Almoner, 
and  Monsignor  de  Broglie,  Bishop  of  Acqui,  his 
Almoner  in  Ordinary,  were  holding  a  canopy  of 
silver  brocade  over  the  head  of  the  kneeling  PrincQ 
and  Princess.  These  two  prelates  wore  a  camail 
and  rochet.  Cardinal  Caprara  and  his  assistant, 
Monsignor  de  Rohan,  the  Empress's  Almoner,  wore 
the  golden  cape. 

During  the  ceremony,  which  lasted  about  an  hour, 
the  front  of  the  Tuileries  and  the  garden  were  illu- 
minated. At  nine  o'clock  there  were  fireworks  on 
the  Place  de  la  Concorde,  which  the  Emperor  and 
Empress  watched  from  the  balcony  of  the  Hall  of 
the  Marshals.  As  they  appeared  on  the  balcony 
with  the  young  people,  they  were  greeted  with  warm 
applause  from  the  dense  crowd  in  the  garden.  The 
Empress,  who  was  clad  in  a  dress  embroidered  with 
gold,  wore  on  her  head,  besides  the  Imperial  crown, 
a  million  francs'  worth  of  pearls.  Princess  Stephanie 
was  charming  in  her  white  tulle  dress,  with  silver 
stars,  trimmed  with  orange  flowers,  and  her  diamond 
frontlet.  After  the  fireworks  came  a  concert  and 
ballet  in  the  Hall  of  the  Marshals.  But  little  atten- 
tion was  paid  to  the  concert,  although  silence  pre- 
vailed; the  ballet,  which  was  rendered  by  the  best 
dancers  from  the  Opera,  was  very  successful.     Then 


208       COURT  OF  THE  EMPHESS  JOSEPHINE. 

the  company  went  to  the  Gallery  of  Diana,  where 
tables  had  been  set  for  two  hundred  ladies,  and  a 
magnificent  supper  was  served.  The  grace  and 
distinction  of  the  bride  aroused  general  admiration. 
Her  father,  Senator  Beauharnais,  kept  silence  and 
wept  for  joy. 

"^  Never  had  the  court  been  more  dazzling  with  its 
glittering  uniforms,  gorgeous  dresses,  and  sumptuous 
pomp.  The  Emperor  in  his  gala  dress,  the  Empress 
in  her  Imperial  splendor,  the  Princesses  vying  in 
luxury,  the  new  Queen  of  Naples  staggering  under 
her  load  of  precious  stones,  the  Princess  Louis  covered 
with  turquoises  set  in  diamonds.  Princess  Caroline 
Murat  decked  with  a  thousand  rubies.  Princess  Paul- 
ine with  all  the  Borghese  diamonds  besides  her  own, 
the  ambassadors,  grand  dignitaries,  marshals,  gener- 
als, with  their  coats  covered  with  gold  and  decorations, 
the  chamberlains  in  red,  the  master  of  ceremonies 
in  violet,  the  masters  of  the  hounds  in  green,  the 
equerries  in  blue,  all  the  ladies  in  dresses  with  long 
trains;  the  two  fashionable  women,  Madame  Maret 
and  Madame  Savary,  who  each  spent  fifty  thousand 
francs  a  year  in  dress ;  Madame  de  Canisy,  tall,  black- 
haired,  bright-eyed,  with  her  aquiline  nose  and  her 
impressive  air ;  Madame  Lannes,  with  her  gentle  face 
like  one  of  Raphael's  Madonnas ;  Madame  Duchatel, 
fair,  with  blue  eyes ;  and  that  proud  duchess  of  the 
Faubourg  Saint  Germain,  a  lady  of  the  palace  in 
spite  of  herself,  the  Duchess  of  Chevreuse,  who,  if 
not  the  most  beautiful  woman  there,  had  perhaps  the 


MABBIAGE  OF  THE  PRINCE  OF  BADEN.     209 

grandest  air.  It  was  a  most  animated  festivity,  with 
its  flowers,  lights,  and  splendor.  The  Hall  of  the 
Marshals  was  radiant  with  its  military  portraits,  its 
chandeliers,  and  air  of  triumph.  .  .  .  Now  consider 
the  ruins  of  this  palace  of  Caesar,  this  Olympus  of 
Jupiter,  this  sanctuary  of  glory,  majesty,  and  domin- 
ion. See  and  reflect!  Nothing  is  left  of  all  that 
pomp  and  grandeur!  The  proudest  buildings  have 
vanished !     Such  is  the  end  of  human  splendor  1 


XIX. 

THE  NEW  QUEEN  OF  HOLLAND. 

AT  the  beginning  of  1804,  Napoleon  regarded 
himself  the  absolute  master  of  fortune.  His 
twofold  title  of  Emperor  of  the  French  and  King  of 
Italy  no  longer  sufficed  him ;  he  yearned  for  that  of 
Emperor  of  the  West.  He  created  kings,  grand 
dukes,  sovereign  princes.  He  made  his  brother 
Joseph  King  of  the  Two  Sicilies ;  his  brother-in-law 
Murat  Grand  Duke  of  Berg  and  Cleves;  his  sister 
Pauline  Princess  of  Guastalla;  he  conferred  the 
principality  of  Massa  upon  his  sister  Elisa,  who  was 
already  in  possession  of  the  Duchy  of  Lucca;  his 
Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  Talleyrand,  became 
Prince  of  Benevento;  his  Major-General,  Berthier, 
Prince  of  Neufch^tel;  and  his  brother  Joseph's 
brother-in-law,  Bernadotte,  Prince  of  Ponte  Corvo. 
He  also  elevated  members  of  his  wife's  family  as 
well  as  of  his  own  to  high  positions.  Josephine's 
son  was  Viceroy  and  son-in-law  of  a  king.  Joseph- 
ine's daughter  was  about  to  become  a  queen. 

France,  which,  fourteen  years  before,  had  wanted 
to  convert  every  monarchy  into  a  republic,  was  now 
MO 


THE  NEW  QUEEN  OF  HOLLAND.  211 

endeavoring  to  turn  the  oldest  republics  into  monarch- 
ies. The  illustrious  republics  of  Genoa  and  Venice 
had  become  an  integral  part,  the  one  of  the  French 
Empire,  the  other  of  the  Kingdom  of  Italy.  The 
Batavian  Republic  was  about  to  be  transformed  into 
the  Kingdom  of  Holland.  When  it  became  known  in 
Paris  that  this  new  kingdom  was  to  be  created  by  the 
Emperor's  will,  people  wondered  who  was  to  fill  the 
throne;  some  were  betting  on  Louis  Bonaparte; 
others  on  his  brother  Jerome ;  still  others  on  Murat. 
The  Emperor,  however,  had  settled  the  question,  and 
without  even  consulting  him,  had  decided  that  Louis 
was  to  be  King  of  Holland. 

This  new  monarch,  who  was  born  September  2, 
1778,  was  then  twenty-seven  years  old.  Four  years 
before  he  had  married  Josephine's  daughter,  Hortense 
de  Beauharnais,  but  the  marriage  had  been  an  un- 
happy one.  As  he  himself  wrote,  his  marriage  was 
celebrated  in  sadness.  The  author  of  a  very  remark- 
able study,  Holland  and  King  Louis,  M.  Albert 
Rdville,  says  with  great  truth :  "  Like  Hortense, 
Louis  had  literary  tastes ;  but  there  the  resemblance 
ceases.  It  was  not  that  there  was  nothing  romantia 
in  Hortense's  character;  she  was  among  the  first  to 
become  interested  in  the  Middle  Ages,  the  Gothic 
revival,  the  imitation  of  the  troubadours;  but  her 
romanticism  was  wholly  different  from  that  of  her 
husband.  Her  ideal  was,  perhaps,  a  young  and  hand- 
some soldier,  pensive  when  away  from  the  lady  of  his 
thoughts,  but  not  when  in  her  company."    M.  R^ville 


212       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

goes  on :  "  Such  a  character  could  not  understand  the 
sensitiveness,  the  shrinking,  morbid  melancholy  of 
the  husband  thrust  upon  her.  Her  gaiety,  her  devo- 
tion to  pleasure,  the  frivolity  of  her  talk,  could  only 
pain  more  and  more  a  man  of  a  gloomy  temperament, 
who  took  the  greatest  care  of  his  health,  who  fretted 
himself  over  the  most  trivial  details,  and  whose  dis- 
trust amounted  to  injustice." 

Hortense  was  expansive,  merry,  ardent,  enthusias- 
tic, young  in  heart  and  mind,  a  thoroughly  open 
nature.  Her  husband,  on  the  other  hand,  was  of  a 
morose,  sombre,  melancholy,  reserved  nature.  In 
spite  of  her  superior  intelligence  Hortense  had  a  sort 
of  childlike  air;  but  Louis,  though  young  in  years, 
had  the  character  and  appearance  of  an  old  man.  As 
much  as  Hortense  loved  liberty,  her  suspicious  hus- 
band wished  to  hold  firmly  the  reins  of  conjugal  au- 
thority. He  was  prematurely  afflicted  with  various 
infirmities,  almost  always  morbidly  nervous  and  im- 
pressionable, disposed  to  take  a  dark  view  of  every- 
thing, and  bore  no  resemblance  to  the  type  of  hero 
which  Hortense  had  imagined.  Moreover,  the  un- 
happy husband  endured  a  hidden  anguish  which  he 
had  to  conceal  from  every  one  and  which  tortured  his 
heart ;  he  imagined  that  his  rival  with  his  wife  was 
his  own  brother.  Napoleon.  Thiers  says  in  discuss- 
ing this  delicate  subject :  "  Louis,  ill,  puffed-up  with 
pride,  assuming  virtue  and  really  upright,  pretended 
that  he  was  sacrificed  to  the  infamous  necessity  of 
covering,  by  his  marriage,  the  weakness  of  Hortense 


THE  QUEEN  OF  HOLLAND  AND  NAPOLEON  III 


THE  NEW  QUEEN   OF  HOLLAND.  213 

de  Beauhamais  for  Napoleon,  —  an  odious  calumny, 
invented  by  the  ^migr^s,  spread  abroad  in  a  thousand 
pamphlets,  about  which  Louis  did  wrong  to  betray 
such  anxiety  that  he  seemed  to  believe  it  himself." 

In  a  word,  there  existed  between  husband  and 
wife  a  real  incompatibility  of  temper,  and  the  con- 
straint of  their  position  only  added  to  the  mutual 
repulsion  which  they  felt  for  each  other  in  private, 
though  they  did  not  dare  confess  it  through  fear  of 
Napoleon's  reproaches.  They  were  married  January 
4,  1802,  and  had  a  son  born  the  next  October,  whom 
their  enemies  asserted  was  the  son  of  the  Emperor, 
and  the  greater  the  interest  and  affection  the  Emperor 
showed  to  this  child,  the  more  freely  were  calumnies 
circulated.  Louis  Bonaparte  imagined  his  h'^nor 
tainted,  and  suffered  tortures. 

As  for  Hortense,  she  was  unhappy,  but  she  had 
consolations.  Her  mother's  love,  the  society  of  her 
old  schoolmates,  her  interest  in  art,  worldly  successes, 
the  distractions  of  Paris  life,  made  her  forget  some  of 
her  domestic  troubles.  The  thought  of  leaving  that 
congenial  spot  to  live  alone  with  her  husband  in  the 
cold  dampness  of  Holland  filled  her  with  gloom.  She 
did  not  care  for  a  throne,  for  she  felt  that  a  royal 
palace  would  be  for  her  nothing  but  a  prison. 

Louis,  too,  seemed  devoid  of  ambition  for  the  crown 
that  was  held  before  him.  Annoyed  at  not  being 
consulted  in  the  negotiations  on  which  depended  his 
call  to  the  throne,  he  maintained  a  passive  attitude. 
But  as  he  was  accustomed  to  comply  with  every  wish 


214       COUET  OF  THE  EMPMESS  JOSEPHINE 

of  a  brother  who  had  taken  charge  of  his  education, 
and  thereby  acquired  special  authority  over  him,  he 
invariably  obeyed  his  orders.  The  Batavian  depu- 
tation, of  which  the  most  important  member  was 
Admiral  Verhuel,  had  just  arrived  in  Paris,  and  with 
it  the  Emperor  was  settling  the  fate  of  Holland. 
Baron  Ducasse,  in  an  interesting  paper  in  the  Revue 
Historique  for  February,  1880,  has  recounted  all  the 
unfortunate  Louis  Bonaparte's  attempts  to  escape 
having  royalty  forced  upon  him.  He  gave  as  a  pre- 
text for  his  reluctance,  the  rights  of  the  old  Stadt- 
holder.  The  Batavian  deputation  in  reply  announced 
to  him  the  death  of  that  official.  "The  hereditary 
Prince,"  they  said,  "has  received  in  compensation 
Fulda ;  hence  you  can  have  no  reasonable  objection. 
We  come,  in  accordance  with  the  votes  of  nine-tenths 
of  the  nation,  to  beg  of  you  to  ally  your  fate  with 
ours,  and  to  prevent  our  falling  into  other  hands." 
Napoleon  used  even  plainer  language.  He  declared 
to  his  brother  without  beating  the  bush  that  he  had 
accepted  for  him,  and  that,  even  if  he  had  not  con- 
sulted him,  a  subject  could  not  refuse  obedience. 

A  few  days  later,  Talleyrand,  the  Minister  of  For- 
eign Affairs,  went  to  Saint  Cloud  and  read  to  Louis 
and  Hortense  the  treaty  with  Holland,  and  the  con- 
stitution of  that  country.  It  was  of  no  use  for  the 
King  to  say  that  he  could  not  judge  such  important 
documents  from  a  simple  reading,  he  was  not  granted 
a  moment's  reflection.  In  vain  he  pleaded  his  health, 
which  could  not  fail  to  suffer  from  the  damp  climate 


THE  NEW  QUEEN   OF  HOLLAND.  215 

of  Holland.  Napoleon  was  inflexible,  and  said,  "It 
is  better  to  die  on  a  throne  than  to  live  a  French 
Prince."  There  was  nothing  for  him  to  do  but  to 
give  his  consent. 

The  new  King's  proclamation  was  delivered  at  the 
Palace  of  the  Tuileries  in  the  Throne  Room,  June  5, 
1806.  Early  in  the  same  day,  the  Emperor  had  for- 
mally received  Mahib  Effendi,  Ambassador  of  the 
Sultan  Selim.  The  Oriental  diplomatist  had  greeted 
him  as  "  the  first  and  greatest  of  Christian  monarchs, 
the  bright  star  of  glory  of  the  western  nations,  the 
one  who  held  in  a  firm  hand  the  sword  of  valor  and 
the  sceptre  of  justice."  Napoleon  had  replied : 
"  Whatever  good  or  bad  fortune  may  befall  the  Otto- 
mans will  be  fortunate  or  unfortunate  for  France. 
Report,  I  beg  of  you,  my  words  to  the  Sultan  Selim. 
Bid  him  never  to  forget  that  my  enemies,  who  are 
also  his,  would  like  to  get  at  him.  He  has  nothing 
to  fear  from  me ;  united  with  me,  he  need  not  fear 
the  power  of  any  of  his  enemies."  When  the  audi- 
ence was  over,  the  Ambassador  made  three  deep  bows 
and  withdrew,  but  stopped  in  the  next  room,  where 
the  presents  of  the  Grand  Porte  were  set  out  on  a 
table ;  they  consisted  of  an  aigret  of  diamonds,  and  a 
costly  box  set  with  gems  and  adorned  with  the  mono- 
gram of  the  Sultan.  Mahib  Effendi,  after  offering  the 
presents  to  the  Emperor,  showed  him  those  sent  to 
the  Empress.  They  were  a  pearl  necklace,  perfumes, 
and  Oriental  stuffs.  Napoleon  examined  them,  and 
then  went  to  the  window  to  see  some  superbly  har- 


216       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

nessed  Arabian  horses,  presented  to  him  in  the  name 
of  the  Sultan. 

The  proclamation  of  the  King  of  Holland  was  read 
a  few  moments  later.  Admiral  Verhuel  took  the 
floor  and  began  to  speak  of  the  happiness  assured  to 
his  country  when  it  should  have  made  fast  the  ties 
that  bound  it  to  the  "immense  and  immortal  Em- 
pire." The  Emperor  said  to  the  Dutch  representa- 
tives :  "  France  has  been  so  generous  as  to  renounce 
all  the  rights  over  you  which  were  given  it  by  the 
events  of  the  war,  but  I  cannot  confide  the  fortresses 
that  guard  my  northern  frontiers  to  any  unfaithful 
or  even  uncertain  hands.  Representatives  of  the 
Batavian  people,  I  grant  the  prayer  you  present  to 
me,  and  proclaim  Prince  Louis  King  of  Holland." 
Then  turning  to  his  brother,  he  said :  "  You,  Prince, 
reign  over  this  people;  their  fathers  acquired  their 
independence  only  by  the  constant  aid  of  France. 
Since  then  Holland  was  the  ally  of  England ;  it  was 
conquered ;  and  still  owes  its  existence  to  us.  She 
will  owe  to  us  the  kings  who  protect  its  laws,  its  lib- 
erties, its  religion  I  But  do  not  ever  cease  to  be  a  i 
Frenchman.  The  dignity  of  Constable  of  the  Empire 
will  ever  belong  to  you  and  to  your  descendants ;  it 
will  define  for  you  your  duties  towards  me  and  the 
importance  I  attach  to  the  guard  of  the  fortresses 
protecting  the  north  of  my  states,  which  I  confide  to 
you.  Prince,  maintain  among  your  troops  that  spirit 
which  I  have  seen  in  them  on  the  field  of  battle. 
Encourage  in  your  new  subjects  the  feelings  of  union 


THE  NEW  QUEEN  OF  HOLLAND,  217 

and  love  wliich  they  ought  always  to  have  for  France. 
Be  the  terror  of  evil-doers  and  the  father  of  the 
upright ;  that  is  the  character  of  a  great  king." 

The  vassalage  of  the  new  monarch  was  thus  defi- 
nitely established;  he  remained  Constable  of  the 
Empire ;  he  was  ordered  to  be  French  and  not  Dutch. 
His  first  duties  were  to  the  Emperor,  his  brother  and 
suzerain.  He  respectfully  approached  the  throne,  and 
said  with  evident  emotion :  "  Sire,  I  have  made  it  my 
highest  ambition  to  sacrifice  my  life  to  Your  Majesty's 
service.  I  have  made  my  happiness  consist  in  admir- 
ing all  those  qualities  which  make  you  so  dear  to 
those  who,  like  me,  have  so  often  witnessed  the  power 
and  the  effects  of  your  genius;  I  may  then  be  per- 
mitted to  express  my  regrets  in  leaving,  but  my  life 
and  my  wishes  belong  to  you.  I  shall  go  to  reign 
over  Holland,  since  that  nation  desires  it  and  Your 
Majesty  commands  it.  I  shall  be  proud  to  reign  over 
it;  but,  however  glorious  may  be  the  career  thus 
opened  to  me,  the  assurance  of  Your  Majesty's  con- 
stant protection,  the  love  and  patriotism  of  my  new 
subjects,  can  alone  inspire  me  with  the  hope  of  heal- 
ing the  wounds  of  the  many  wars  and  events  that 
have  crowded  into  a  few  years.'*  After  the  royal 
speech  the  usher  threw  open  the  door,  and  as  in  the 
time  of  Louis  XIV.,  at  the  acceptation  of  the  Spanish 
accession,  the  new  King  was  announced  to  the  as- 
sembled crowd. 

As  M.  Albert  R^ville  says,  no  one  in  France  re- 
gretted the  Batavian  Republic  when  it  was  stricken 


218       COUBT  OF  THE  EMPRESS    JOSEPHINE. 

from  the  roll  of  history  by  the  will  of  a  despot ;  or, 
rather,  the  Parisians,  in  their  occasionally  exagger- 
ated infatuation,  fancied  that  the  Dutch  would  be 
overjoyed  to  have  a  French  court. 

The  next  day,  after  breakfast,  the  Emperor  was 
playing  with  the  new  King's  oldest  son,  the  little 
Napoleon,  who  was  only  three  years  and  a  half  old, 
but  was  very  bright  for  his  age,  and  already  knew  by 
heart  La  Fontaine's  fables.  The  Emperor  made  him 
recite  the  fable  about  the  frogs  who  wanted  a  king, 
and  listened  to  it,  laughing  loudly.  He  pinched  the 
Queen's  ear,  and  asked  her,  "What  do  you  say  to 
that,  Hortense?"  The  allusions  to  the  poor  king 
and  to  his  poor  people  were  only  too  clear.  The 
melancholy  monarch,  or  rather,  the  crowned  mon- 
arch, was  to  be,  according  to  the  Emperor's  plan,  a 
mere  tool  in  the  hands  of  his  powerful  brother.  He 
was  condemned  to  discharge  the  functions  of  receiver 
of  dues  and  of  recruiting  officer  in  the  Emperor's  ser- 
vice. He  had  a  presentiment  of  this  degraded  posi- 
tion, and  took  his  departure  with  much  anxiety. 

For  Hortense,  leaving  was  sadder.  No  exile  ever 
turned  towards  foreign  parts  with  heavier  sorrow. 
Her  diadem  was  a  crown  of  thorns.  Her  mother's 
grief  augmented  her  own.  Without  her  children, 
Josephine,  naturally  unambitious,  found  no  consola- 
tion in  the  thought  that  her  son  was  a  Viceroy,  her 
daughter  a  Queen.  Before  she  left  Paris  Hortense, 
in  terror  before  the  thought  that  the  Emperor  would 
no  longer  be  near  to  defend  her,  told  her  all  her 


THE  NEW  QUEEN   OF  HOLLAND.  219 

domestic  unhappiness,  and  said  that  if  her  husband 
treated  her  too  ill,  she  would  abandon  her  throne  for 
a  convent. 

Nevertheless  she  had  to  obey.  June  15,  1806, 
Louis  started  from  Saint  Leu  to  go  to  his  kingdom. 
He  was  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  his  two  sons,  the 
elder,  Charles  Napoleon,  who  died  in  Holland  the  5th 
of  the  next  May,  and  the  other,  Louis  Napoleon,  who 
died  at  Forte,  in  1831,  in  the  insurrection  of  the 
States  of  the  Church  against  the  Pope.  His  third 
son,  later  Napoleon  III.,  was  born  in  1808.  The  new 
King  entered  The  Hague  June  23,  1806.  He  coun- 
termanded a  body  of  French  troops  which  the  Em- 
peror had  designed  for  his  escort  at  his  entrance  into 
the  capital,  being  unwilling  to  appear  before  his  sub- 
jects as  a  sovereign  imposed  upon  them  by  actual 
force.  "  You  may  be  sure,"  he  said  to  them,  "  that 
from  the  moment  I  set  foot  on  the  soil  of  this  king- 
dom, I  became  a  Dutchman."  The  same  day  General 
Dupont  Chaumont,  French  Minister  at  The  Hague, 
wrote  to  Prince  Talleyrand ;  "  To-day,  June  23,  His 
Majesty  made  his  formal  entrance  into  his  capital. 
He  went  to  the  Assembly  where  he  recieved  the  oath 
of  the  representatives  of  the  people  and  made  a 
speech  which  was  much  applauded.  The  French 
camp  obtained  permission  from  the  Governor  of  the 
Palace  to  surprise  Their  Majesties  by  fireworks  and 
military  music.  These  festivities  naturally  put  a 
stop  to  all  business,  except  for  His  Majesty,  who 
finds  time  to  examine  and   decide  the  most  urgent 


220        COUBT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

matters,  tlie  ease  with  which  he  works  greatly  sur- 
prising a  nation  unaccustomed  to  such  activity. 
Already  the  King  and  Queen  are  spoken  of  most 
enthusiastically  by  those  who  have  had  the  honor  to 
be  presented  to  Their  Majesties.  The  satisfaction 
will  be  general,  when  many  shall  have  had  the  op- 
portunity to  approach  the  throne." 

In  spite  of  the  optimisms  of  this  despatch,  the  new 
King  was  to  have  an  unhappy  reign.  His  loyal  and 
upright  intentions  were  to  be  shattered  against  the 
inflexible  will  of  his  formidable  brother.  Louis  was 
a  just  man  and  sincerely  devoted  to  his  people.  He 
was  called,  and  is  still  called,  "  the  good  King  Louis  " ; 
but  the  Emperor,  who  ironically  reproached  him  with 
trying  to  win  the  affection  of  shopkeepers,  was  to 
write  to  him  in  1807 :  "  A  monarch  who  is  called  a 
good  king,  is  a  king  that's  ruined."  As  for  Queen 
Hortense,  more  and  more  tormented  by  her  husband's 
suspicions,  with  her  health  impaired  by  the  moist 
climate,  and  her  ever-growing  melancholy,  she  was 
to  feel  like  a  condemned  exile  in  her  kingdom.  No 
woman  ever  gave  a  completer  lie  to  the  expression, 
"As  happy  as  a  queen/' 


XX. 

THE   EMPRESS  AT  MAYENCB. 

rr  spite  of  all  the  honors  that  encompassed  her, 
the  Empress  was  ever  more  and  more  unhappy. 
The  departure  of  her  daughter  Hortense  left  a  void 
in  her  life  that  nothing  could  fill.  She  wrote  to  the 
new  Queen  from  Saint  Cloud,  July  15, 1806  :  "Since 
you  left  I  have  been  ill,  sad,  and  unhappy ;  I  have 
even  been  feverish  and  have  had  to  keep  my  bed.  I 
am  now  well  again,  but  my  sorrow  remains.  How 
could  it  be  otherwise  when  I  am  separated  from  a 
daughter  like  you,  loving,  gentle,  and  amiable,  who 
was  the  charm  of  my  life  ?  .  .  .  How  is  your  husband? 
Are  my  grandchildren  well  ?  Heavens,  how  sad  it 
makes  me  not  to  see  them  I  and  how  is  your  health, 
dear  Hortense  ?  If  you  are  ever  ill,  let  me  know, 
and  I  will  hasten  to  you  at  once.  .  .  .  Good  by,  my 
dear  Hortense,  think  often  of  your  mother,  and  be 
sure  that  never  was  a  daughter  more  loved  than  you 
are.  Many  kind  messages  to  your  husband ;  kiss  the 
children  for  me.  It  would  be  very  kind  of  you  to 
send  me  some  of  your  songs." 

Josephine  was  about  to  have  another  cause  for 

221 


222       COURT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

grief.  A  new  war  was  imminent,  but  the  Empress 
hid  her  uneasiness  in  order  not  to  distance  Hortense. 
"All  your  letters,"  she  wrote  to  her,  "are  charming, 
and  you  are  kind  to  write  so  often.  I  have  heard 
from  Eugene  and  his  wife ;  they  are  evidently  very 
happy,  and  so  am  I,  for  I  am  going  with  the  Emperor, 
and  am  already  packing.  I  assure  you,  that  even  if 
this  war  breaks  out,  I  have  no  fear ;  the  nearer  I  am 
to  the  Emperor,  the  less  I  shall  care,  and  I  feel  that 
I  should  die  if  I  stayed  here.  Another  joy  to  me  is 
our  meeting  at  Mayence.  The  Emperor  has  bidden 
me  tell  you  that  he  has  just  given  to  the  King  of 
Holland  an  army  of  eighty  thousand  men,  and  his 
command  will  extend  to  Mayence.  He  thinks  that 
you  can  come  then  and  stay  with  me.  Is  not  that  an 
agreeable  bit  of  news  for  a  mother  who  loves  you  so 
dearly?  Every  day  we  shall  have  news  of  the  Em- 
peror and  your  husband ;  we  will  be  happy  together. 
The  Grand  Duke  of  Berg  spoke  to  me  about  you  and 
the  children ;  kiss  them  for  me  till  I  can  kiss  them 
for  myself,  as  well  as  my  daughter;  this  will  be 
soon,  I  hope.     My  best  regards  to  the  King." 

Napoleon  was  about  to  begin  a  gigantic  war  against 
Prussia  and  Russia.  In  spite  of  his  confidence  in  his 
star,  he  was  not  without  some  apprehensions,  and  he 
left  reluctantly.  A  cloud  seemed  to  hang  over  Saint 
Cloud.  "  Why  are  you  so  gloomy  ?  "  the  Emperor 
asked  Madame  de  Rdmusat,  whose  husband,  the  First 
Chamberlain,  had  just  been  sent  to  Mayence  to  pre- 
pare the  Emperor's  quarters.     "  I  am  gloomy,"  she 


TBS  EMPEMSS  AT  MAYENCE.  223 

replied,  "because  my  husband  has  left  me."  And 
as  Napoleon  sneered  at  her  conjugal  devotion,  she 
added :  "  Sire,  I  take  no  part  in  heroic  joys,  and  for 
my  part,  I  had  placed  my  glory  in  happiness."  Then 
the  Emperor  burst  out  laughing  and  said :  "  Happi- 
ness ?  Oh  yes,  happiness  has  a  great  deal  to  do  with 
this  century  1 " 

The  Empress  hoped  to  accompany  her  husband  as 
far  as  Mayence,  and  remain  there  during  the  war, 
with  her  daughter.  At  the  last  moment  she  came 
near  missing  even  this.  Napoleon  wanted  to  go  off 
alone,  but  she  wept  so  much,  besought  him  so 
earnestly,  that  he  took  pity  on  her  and  gave  her 
leave  to  enter  his  carriage;  she  had  but  a  single 
chambermaid  with  her.  Her  household  was  to  join 
her  some  days  later. 

Napoleon  and  Josephine  left  Saint  Cloud  in  the 
night  of  September  24,  1806.  After  stopping  for 
some  hours  at  Metz,  they  reached  Mayence  the  28th. 
The  Emperor  started  again,  October  2,  at  nine  in  the 
evening,  for  the  head  of  the  army.  At  this  moment 
he  had  an  access  of  affection  and  a  revival  of  his  old 
tenderness  for  the  woman  who  long  since  had  inspired 
him  with  much  love.  Seeing  that  she  was  weeping 
bitterly,  he,  too,  shed  tears,  and  was  even  attacked  by 
convulsions.  They  made  him  sit  down  and  gave  him 
a  few  drops  of  orange-flower  water.  In  a  few  mo- 
ments he  controlled  his  emotion,  gave  Josephine  a 
farewell  kiss,  and  said :  "  The  carriages  are  ready,  are 
they  not  ?    Tell  those  gentlemen  and  let  us  be  off." 


224       COUUT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

The  Empress  remained  at  Mayence.  Napoleon 
wrote  to  her  October  5,  1806 :  "  There  is  no  reason 
why  the  Princess  of  Baden  should  not  go  to  May- 
ence. I  don't  know  why  you  are  so  distressed ;  it  is 
wrong  of  you  to  grieve  so  much.  Hortense  is  inclined 
to  pedantry ;  she  is  liberal  with  advice.  She  wrote 
to  me,  and  I  answered  her.  She  should  be  happy 
and  gay.  Courage  and  gaiety,  that  is  the  recipe." 
It  is  plain  that  the  Emperor's  gloom  had  been  of 
brief  duration.  When  he  was  once  more  at  war,  in 
his  element,  he  had  quickly  resumed  his  customary 
eagerness.  He  wrote  to  his  wife  from  Bamberg, 
October  7 :  "  I  leave  this  evening  for  Kronach.  The 
whole  army  is  in  motion.  All  goes  on  well;  my 
health  is  perfect.  I  have  not  yet  received  any  letters 
from  you,  but  I  have  heard  from  Eugene  and  Hor- 
tense. Stephanie  ought  to  be  with  you.  Her  hus- 
band [the  Prince  of  Baden]  wishes  to  take  part  in 
the  war;  he  is  with  me.  Good  by.  A  thousand 
kisses  and  good  health ! "  Again,  October  18  :  "  To- 
day I  am  at  Gera.  Everything  goes  on  as  well  as  I 
could  hope.  With  God's  aid,  the  poor  King  of  Prus- 
sia will  be  in  a  lamentable  state,  I  think.  I  am 
personally  sorry  for  him,  because  he  is  a  good  man. 
The  Queen  is  at  Erfurt  with  the  King.  If  she  wants 
to  see  a  battle,  she  will  have  that  cruel  pleasure.  I 
am  wonderfully  well,  and  have  gained  flesh  since 
I  left;  and  yet  I  go  twenty  or  twenty-five  leagues 
every  day,  on  horseback  or  in  a  carriage, — in  every 
possible  way.     I  go  to  bed  at  eight  and  get  up  at 


THE  EMPRESS  AT  MAYENCE.  225 

midnight,  sometimes,  I  think,  before  you  have  gone 
to  bed.     Ever  yours." 

In  these  campaigns  Napoleon  was  not  yet  sur- 
rounded by  the  comforts  which  later  made  war  less 
fatiguing  for  him,  perhaps  too  easy.  He  endured  all 
the  toil  and  privation  of  a  private  soldier.  In  five 
minutes  his  table,  his  coffee,  his  bed  were  prepared. 
Often  in  less  time  than  that  the  bodies  of  men  and 
horses  had  to  be  removed  to  make  room  for  his  tent. 
His  longest  meal  lasted  no  more  than  eight  or  ten 
minutes.  The  Emperor  would  then  call  for  horses 
and  leave  in  company  with  Berthier,  one  or  two  riders, 
and  Roustan,  his  faithful  Mameluke.  At  night,  when 
lying  on  his  little  iron  bed,  he  took  but  little  rest. 
Hardly  had  he  fallen  asleep  when  he  would  call  his 
valet  de  chambre  who  slept  in  the  same  tent :  "  Con- 
stant !  "  "  Sire."  "  See  what  aide-de-camp  is  on  duty." 
"  Sire,  it  is  so-and-so."  "  Tell  him  to  come  and  speak 
to  me."  The  aide-de-camp  would  arrive :  "  You  must 
go  to  such  a  corps,  commanded  by  Marshal  so-and-so ; 
you  will  tell  him  to  place  such  a  regiment  in  such  a 
position ;  you  will  ascertain  the  position  of  the  enemy, 
then  you  will  report  to  me."  The  Emperor  seemed 
to  fall  asleep  again,  but  in  a  few  moments  he  was  call- 
ing again  :  "  Constant  I "  "  Sire."  "  Summon  the 
Prince  of  Neufch^tel."  The  Major-General  would 
appear  in  a  great  hurry,  and  Napoleon  would  dictate 
some  orders  to  him.  That  is  the  way  his  nights  were 
passed. 

The  night  before  the  battle  of  Jena  was  an  except 


226       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

tion,  and  the  Emperor  slept  soundly.  "  Yet,"  says 
General  de  S^gur,  "  our  position  was  so  perilous  that 
some  of  us  said  the  enemy  could  have  thrown  a  bullet 
across  all  our  lines  with  the  hand.  This  was  so  true 
that  the  first  cannon-ball  fired  the  next  day  passed 
over  our  heads  and  killed  a  cook  at  his  canteen  far 
behind  us."  At  about  five  o'clock  Napoleon  asked 
of  Marshal  Soult :  "  Shall  we  beat  them?  "  "Yes,  if 
they  are  there,"  answered  the  Marshal ;  "  I  am  only 
afraid  they  have  left."  At  that  moment,  the  first 
musketry  fire  was  heard.  "  There  they  are  !  "  said  the 
Emperor,  joyfully ;  "  there  they  are !  the  business  is 
beginning."  Then  he  went  to  address  the  infantry, 
encouraging  them  to  crush  the  famous  Prussian  cav- 
alry. "  This  cavalry,"  he  said,  "  must  be  destroyed 
here,  before  our  squares,  as  we  crushed  the  Russian 
infantry  at  Austerlitz."  The  victory  was  overwhelm- 
ing. Napoleon  thus  recounted  it  in  a  letter  to  the 
Empress,  dated  Jena,  October  15,  at  three  in  the 
morning :  "  My  dear,  I  have  done  some  good  manoeu- 
vring against  the  Prussians.  Yesterday  I  gained  a 
great  victory.  They  were  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  men;  I  have  made  twenty  thousand  pris- 
oners, captured  one  hundred  cannon  and  flags.  I  was 
facing  the  King  of  Prussia  and  very  near  him ;  I  just 
missed  capturing  him  and  the  Queen.  I  have  been 
bivouacking  for  two  days.  I  am  wonderfully  well. 
Good  by,  my  dear,  keep  well  and  love  me.  If  Hor- 
tense  is  at  Mayence,  give  her  a  kiss  as  well  as  Napo- 
leon and  the  little  one."     And  again  from  Weimar, 


THE  EMPRESS  AT  MATENCE.  227 

October  16  :  "  M.  Talleyrand  will  have  shown  you 
the  bulletin  and  you  will  have  seen  our  success. 
Everything  has  turned  out  as  I  planned,  and  never 
was  an  army  more  thoroughly  beaten  and  destroyed. 
I  will  only  add  that  I  am  well ;  that  fatigue,  watching, 
and  the  bivouac  have  made  me  stouter.  Good  by, 
my  dear,  much  love  to  Hortense  and  the  great 
Napoleon." 

Hortense  had  joined  her  mother  at  Mayence  with 
her  two  sons,  meeting  there  her  relative.  Princess 
Stephanie  of  Baden,  the  Princess  of  Nassau  and  her 
daughters,  many  generals'  wives,  who  had  desired  to 
be  near  the  scene  of  war  to  get  early  news.  With 
what  impatience  tidings  were  awaited  !  With  what 
curiosity  and  respect  were  read  and  discussed  the  two 
or  three  words  scrawled  by  the  hand  of  the  Emperor 
or  of  his  lieutenants !  A  lookout  had  been  placed  a 
league  away  on  the  high-road,  who  announced  the 
coming  of  a  messenger  by  blowing  on  a  horn.  At 
the  same  time  the  files  of  prisoners  were  seen  passing 
on  their  way  to  France.  Josephine,  ever  kind  and 
pitiful,  tried  to  soften  their  lot  and  gave  aid  and  com- 
fort to  officers  and  soldiers. 

Meanwhile  Napoleon  continued  his  triumphal 
marcb.  From  Wittenberg  he  wrote  to  his  wife, 
October  23:  "I  have  received  a  number  of  letters 
from  you.  I  write  but  a  word :  everything  goes  on 
well.  To-morrow  I  shall  be  at  Potsdam,  the  25th  at 
Berlin.  I  am  perfectly  well ;  fatigue  agrees  with  me. 
I  am  glad  to  hear  of  you  in  company  together  with 


228        COURT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

Hortense  and  Stephanie.  The  weather  has  so  far 
been  very  pleasant.  Much  love  to  Stephanie  and 
to  every  one,  including  M.  Napoleon.  Good  by,  my 
dear.    Ever  yours." 

At  Potsdam  the  Emperor  visited  the  celebrated 
palace  of  Sans  Souci  and  found  the  room  of  Frederick 
the  Great  as  it  had  been  in  his  lifetime,  and  guarded 
by  one  of  his  old  servants.  He  then  went  to  the 
Protestant  church  which  contained  the  hero's  tomb. 
"  The  door  of  the  monument  was  open,"  says  General 
de  S^gur.  "  Napoleon  paused  at  the  entrance,  in  a 
grave  and  respectful  attitude.  He  gazed  into  the 
shadow  enclosing  the  hero's  ashes,  and  stood  thus 
for  nearly  ten  minutes,  motionless,  silent,  as  if  buried 
in  deep  thought.  There  were  five  or  six  of  us  with 
him :  Duroc,  Caulaincourt,  an  aide-de-camp,  and  I. 
We  gazed  at  this  solemn  and  extraordinary  scene, 
imagining  the  two  great  men  face  to  face,  identifying 
ourselves  with  the  thoughts  we  ascribed  to  our  Em- 
peror before  that  other  genius  whose  glory  survived 
the  overthrow  of  his  work,  who  was  as  great  in  ex- 
treme adversity  as  in  success."  The  eighteenth  bul- 
letin said  of  this  tomb:  "The  great  man's  remains 
are  enclosed  in  a  wooden  coffin  covered  with  copper, 
and  are  placed  in  a  vault,  with  no  ornaments,  trophies, 
or  other  distinction  recalling  his  great  actions."  The 
Emperor  presented  to  the  Invalides  in  Paris  Freder- 
ick's sword,  his  ribbon  of  the  Black  Eagle,  his  gen- 
eral's sash,  as  well  as  the  flags  carried  by  his  guard 
in  the  Seven  Years'  War.     The  old  veterans  of  the 


THE  EMPRESS  AT  MATENCE.  229 

army  of  Hanover  received  with  religious  respect 
everything  which  had  belonged  to  one  of  the  first 
captains  whose  memory  is  recorded  in  history." 
When  he  saw  that  the  Prussian  court  had  not 
thought  of  making  those  relics  safe  from  invasion, 
the  hero  of  Jena,  who  on  this  occasion  abused  his 
victory,  exclaimed  as  he  pointed  to  the  famous  sword: 
"  I  prefer  that  to  twenty  millions."  In  his  letters  to 
Josephine,  Napoleon  made  no  mention  of  his  impres- 
sions in  the  house  of  Frederick.  He  simply  wrote, 
October  24 :  "I  have  been  at  Potsdam  since  yester- 
day, and  shall  spend  to-day  here.  I  continue  to  be 
satisfied  with  everything.  My  health  is  good ;  the 
weather  is  fine.  I  find  Sans  Souci  very  agreeable. 
Good  by,  my  dear.  Much  love  to  Hortense  and  M. 
Napoleon." 

October  27,  1806,  the  Emperor  made  his  formal 
entrance  into  Berlin,  surrounded  by  his  guard  and 
followed  by  the  cuirassiers  of  the  divisions  of  Haut- 
poul  and  Nansouty.  He  proceeded  in  triumph  from 
the  Charlottenburger  gate  to  the  King's  Palace,  of 
which  he  was  to  take  possession.  The  populace 
crowded  the  streets,  but  uttered  no  cries  of  hate  or 
flattery  for  the  conqueror.  "Prussia  was  happy," 
says  Thiers,  "  at  not  being  divided,  and  at  retaining 
its  dignity  in  its  disasters.  The  enemy's  entrance 
was  not  first  the  overthrow  of  one  party  and  the 
triumph  of  another;  it  contained  no  unworthy  fac- 
tion, indulging  in  odious  joy  and  applauding  the 
presence  of  foreign  soldiers!     We  Frenchmen,  un- 


230       COURT  OF  THE  EMPMESS  JOSEPHINE. 

happier  in  our  defeats,  have  known  this  abominable 
joy ;  for  we  have  seen  everything  in  this  century :  the 
extremes  of  victory  and  of  defeat,  of  grandeur  and 
of  abasement,  of  the  purest  devotion  and  of  the 
blackest  treachery !  "  Alas  I  What  Frenchman  could 
have  foretold  in  1806  the  disasters  of  1814  and  1815? 
The  army  deemed  itself  invincible  and  was  wild  with 
joyful  pride.  Davout,  whose  men  the  Emperor  had 
just  congratulated,  wrote  to  him  in  great  enthusiasm : 
"Sire,  we  are  your  tenth  legion.  Everywhere  and 
at  all  times  the  third  corps  will  be  for  you  what 
that  legion  was  for  Caesar."  Never  did  soldiers 
have  greater  enthusiasm  or  more  confidence  in  their 
leader. 

One  might  have  said  that  Josephine,  amid  all  these 
triumphs,  had  a  presentiment  of  the  future.  Victo- 
ries could  not  dispel  her  sadness.  Her  husband 
wrote  to  her  November  1 :  "  Talleyrand  has  come, 
and  tells  me  that  you  do  nothing  but  cry.  But  what 
do  you  want  ?  You  have  your  daughters,  your 
grandchildren,  and  good  news ;  certainly  you  have  the 
materials  for  happiness  and  content.  The  weather 
here  is  superb ;  not  a  drop  of  rain  has  fallen  in  the 
whole  campaign.  I  am  in  good  health,  and  every- 
thing is  progressing  favorably.  Good  by.  I  have 
received  a  letter  from  M.  Napoleon ;  I  don't  think  it 
is  from  him  but  from  Hortense.     Love  to  all." 

Napoleon  was  not  modest  in  his  triumph.  He  pur. 
sued  with  sarcasms  the  nobility  of  Prussia  and  Queen 
Louise  who  had  warmly  counselled  war.     This  fair 


THE  EMPRESS  AT  MAYENCE.  281 


sovereign,  the  mother  of  the  late  Emperor  William, 
was  then  thirty  years  old ;  she  was  the  daughter  of  a 
Duke  of  Mecklenburg-Strelitz  and  of  a  Princess  of 
Hesse-Darmstadt.  She  was  a  most  thorough  German, 
hated  France,  and  especially  the  French  Revolution. 
She  was  a  fearless  horsewoman,  and  had  been  seen 
facing  great  dangers  at  the  battle  of  Jena.  When 
she  rode  before  her  troops  in  her  helmet  of  polished 
steel,  shaded  by  a  plume,  in  her  glittering  golden 
cuirass,  her  tunic  of  silver  stuff,  her  red  boots  with 
gold  spurs,  she  resembled  Tasso's  heroines.  The 
soldiers  burst  into  cries  of  enthusiasm,  as  they  saw 
their  warlike  Queen;  before  her  were  bowed  the 
flags  she  had  embroidered  with  her  own  hands,  and 
the  old,  torn,  and  battle-stained  standards  of  Fred- 
erick the  Great.  After  the  battle  she  was  obliged 
to  take  flight,  at  full  gallop,  to  avoid  being  captured 
by  the  French  hussars. 

In  his  bulletins  the  Emperor  had  made  the  serious 
blunder  of  speaking  of  Queen  Louise  in  a  manner 
wanting  in  proper  respect  for  a  woman,  and  especially 
for  a  woman  in  misfortune.  Josephine,  who  was  full 
of  tact,  was  much  pained  by  this  lack  of  generosity, 
and  reproached  her  husband  for  it.  Napoleon  sought 
to  excuse  himself,  writing,  November  6:  "I  have 
received  your  letter  in  which  you  seem  pained  by  the 
evil  I  say  of  women.  It  is  true  that  I  hate,  more 
than  anything,  intriguing  women.  I  am  used  to 
kindly,  gentle,  conciliating  women ;  those  are  the 
ones  I  love.     If  they  have  spoiled  me,  it  is  not  my 


232       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

fault,  but  yours.  Now  I  will  show  you  that  I  have 
been  very  good  for  one  who  has  shown  herself  sensible 
and  kind,  Madame  Hatzfeld.  When  I  showed  her 
her  husband's  letter,  bursting  into  tears,  she  said  to 
me  with  great  emotion  and  simplicity:  'It  is  cer- 
tainly his  hand-writing ! '  As  she  read  it,  her  accent 
touched  my  heart  and  gave  me  real  distress.  I  said 
to  her:  'Well,  Madame,  throw  that  letter  into  the 
fire,  I  shall  not  be  strong  enough  to  punish  your  hus- 
band.' She  burned  the  letter  and  seemed  to  be  very 
happy.  Her  husband  has  ever  since  been  very  calm ; 
two  hours  more,  and  he  would  have  been  a  ruined 
man.  You  see  then  that  I  love  kind,  simple,  gentle 
women ;  but  it's  because  they  are  like  you.  Good  by, 
my  dear,  I  am  well." 

The  kingdom  of  Prussia  was  conquered,  but  the 
war  was  not  over.  After  fighting  the  Prussians  he 
had  to  fight  the  Russians;  the  war  in  Poland  was 
beginning.  Napoleon  wrote  to  the  King  of  Prussia : 
"  Your  Majesty  has  announced  to  me  that  you  have 
thrown  yourself  into  the  arms  of  the  Russians.  The 
future  will  decide  whether  this  is  the  best  and  wisest 
choice.  You  have  taken  the  dice-box  and  thrown 
the  dice ;  the  dice  will  decide  it."  At  Paris,  in  spite 
of  the  splendors  of  the  Imperial  glory,  there  existed 
a  vague  uneasiness.  Peace  had  been  expected  after 
Jena,  and  some  apprehension  was  felt  about  the 
renewal  of  the  struggle  in  the  northern  steppes. 
Madame  de  R^musat  wrote,  November  9,  to  her  hus- 
band, who  was  at  Mayence  with  the  Empress,  "  There 


THE  EMPEESS  AT  MAYENCE,  233 

is  something  in  the  Emperor's  career  which  confounds 
ordinary  calculations,  and,  so  to  speak,  goes  beyond 
them.  It  is  most  impressive,  and,  I  might  say,  alarm- 
ing, and  yet  he  seems  so  far  above  customary  condi- 
tions that  there  is  no  need  of  fear  about  the  points  to 
which  he  exposes  himself,  and  still  less,  draw  the  line 
at  which  he  shall  stop.  But  I  shudder  to  think  how 
far  he  is  from  us  at  this  moment.  May  God  be  with 
him,  I  am  ever  praying,  and  preserve  him  I  While 
this  great  part  of  the  French  nation  which  is  under 
his  orders,  is  marching  to  great  victories,  we  are  veg- 
etating here  in  complete  dulness.  There  is  very 
little  society,  and  no  houses  are  open." 

Josephine  was  very  anxious  to  join  her  husband 
who  held  it  before  her  as  a  possibility,  but  never  per^ 
mitted  it.  He  had  written  to  her,  November  16 :  "I 
am  glad  to  see  that  my  views  please  you.  You  were 
wrong  to  think  I  was  flattering ;  I  spoke  of  you  as 
you  seem  to  me.  I  am  sorry  to  think  that  you  are 
bored  at  Mayence.  If  the  journey  was  not  so  long 
you  might  come  here,  for  the  enemy  has  left,  and  is 
beyond  the  Vistula ;  that  is  to  say,  one  hundred  and 
twenty  leagues  from  here.  I  will  await  your  decision. 
I  shall  be  glad  to  see  M.  Napoleon.  Good  by,  my 
dear.  Ever  yours."  And  November  22 :  "  Be  satis- 
fied and  happy  in  my  friendship,  in  all  I  feel  for  you. 
In  a  few  days  I  shall  decide  to  summon  you  or  to 
send  you  to  Paris.  Good  by.  You  may  go  now,  if 
you  wish,  to  Darmstadt  and  Frankfort;  that  will 
amuse  you.     Much  love  to  Hortense."     After  sign- 


234       COURT  OF  THE  EMPBES8  JOSEPHINE. 

ing  the  decree  establishing  the  continental  blockade, 
Napoleon  had  left  Berlin  November  25.  The  next 
day  he  again  held  before  Josephine  the  prospect  of 
a  speedy  meeting.  "I  am  at  Custrin,"  he  said  in 
his  letter,  "  to  make  some  reconnoissances ;  I  shall  see 
you  in  two  days  if  you  are  to  come.  You  can  hold 
yourself  in  readiness.  I  shall  be  glad  to  have  the 
Queen  of  Holland  come  too.  The  Grand  Duchess 
of  Baden  must  write  to  her  husband  about  coming. 
It  is  two  o'clock  in  the  morning ;  I  have  just  got  up. 
That  is  the  way  at  war.  Much  love  to  you  and  every 
one."  A  letter  from  Meseritz,  March  27,  was  still 
more  explicit :  "  I  am  going  to  make  a  trip  through 
Poland ;  this  is  the  most  important  city  here.  I  shall 
be  at  Posen  this  evening,  after  which  I  summon  you  to 
Berlin,  that  you  may  arrive  there  the  same  day.  My 
health  is  good,  the  weather  rather  bad;  it  has  been 
raining  for  three  days.  Matters  are  in  a  good  condi- 
tion. The  Russians  are  in  flight."  Josephine,  who 
had  trembled  with  joy  at  the  thought  of  seeing  her 
husband,  fell  into  great  gloom  when  she  saw  that  she 
had  been  deceived  by  a  vain  hope.  The  tortures  of, 
alas !  too  well-founded  jealousy  were  to  be  added  to 
her  sufferings  I 

Napoleon  reached  Posen  November  28,  and  wrote 
the  next  day  to  his  wife:  "I  am  at  Posen,  the 
capital  of  Great  Poland.  The  cold  is  beginning ;  I 
am  well.  I  am  going  to  make  a  trip  in  Poland.  My 
troops  are  at  the  gates  of  Warsaw.  Good  by,  my 
dear,  much  love.      I  kiss  you  with  all  my  heart. 


THE  EMPRESS  AT  MATENCE.  235 

Today  is  the  anniversary  of  Austerlitz.  I  have 
been  at  a  ball  given  by  the  city.  It  is  raining.  I 
am  well.  I  love  you  and  long  for  you.  My  troops 
are  at  Warsaw.  It  has  not  yet  been  cold.  All  the 
Polish  women  are  Frenchwomen,  but  there  is  only 
one  woman  for  me.  Do  you  know  her?  I  should 
draw  her  portrait  for  you;  but  I  should  have  to 
flatter  it  too  much  for  you  to  recognize  it ;  neverthe- 
less, to  tell  the  truth,  my  heart  would  have  only 
good  things  to  tell  you.  I  find  the  nights  long  in 
my  solitude.  Ever  yours."  Perhaps  Napoleon  would 
not  have  been  so  amiable  to  Josephine  had  it  not 
been  that  he  was  going  to  be  very  unfaithful  to  her 
in  Poland,  and  in  a  movement  of  pity  wanted  to 
console  her  in  advance.  From  there  he  sent  her, 
December  3,  two  letters,  one  at  noon,  the  other 
at  six  in  the  evening.  This  is  the  first:  "I  have 
your  letter  of  November  26.  I  notice  two  things: 
you  say,  don't  read  your  letters ;  that  is  unjust.  I 
am  sorry  for  your  bad  opiiiion.  You  tell  me  you 
are  not  jealous.  I  have  long  observed  that  people 
who  are  angry  always  say  that  they  are  not  angry, 
that  people  who  are  afraid  say  they  are  not  afraid; 
so  you  are  convicted  of  jealousy;  I  am  delighted! 
Besides,  you  are  mistaken,  and  in  the  deserts  of  fair 
Poland  one  thinks  but  little  about  pretty  women. 
Yesterday  I  was  at  a  ball  of  the  nobility  of  the 
province;  rather  pretty  women,  rather  rich,  rather 
ill  dressed,  although  in  the  Paris  fashion."  Perhaps 
Napoleon    said  that  to   reassure    the    Empress;    I 


236        COURT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

imagine  that  the  Polish  women,  with  all  their  ele- 
gance and  grace,  were  scarcely  so  ill-dressed  as  he 
pretended. 

This  is  the  second  letter,  dated  December  3,  6  p.m.  : 
"  I  have  your  letter  of  November  27,  and  I  see  that 
your  little  head  is  much  excited.  I  remember  the 
line:  'A  woman's  wish  is  a  devouring  flame,'  and 
I  must  calm  you.  I  wrote  to  you  that  I  was  in 
Poland,  that  when  we  should  have  got  into  winter- 
quarters  you  might  come;  so  you  must  wait  a  few 
days.  The  greater  one  becomes,  the  less  will  one 
must  have ;  one  depends  on  events  and  circumstances. 
You  may  go  to  Frankfort  or  Darmstadt.  I  hope  to 
summon  you  in  a  few  days,  but  events  must  decide. 
The  warmth  of  your  letter  convinces  me  that  you 
pretty  women  take  no  account  of  obstacles;  what 
you  want  must  be ;  but  I  must  say  that  I  am  the 
greatest  slave  that  lives;  my  master  has  no  heart, 
and  this  master  is  the  nature  of  things."  Napoleon 
should  have  said:  Providence.  Man  proposes,  but 
God  disposes. 

Napoleon  again  spoke  a  little  of  having  Josephine 
come.  He  wrote  to  her  December  10 :  "  An  officer 
has  brought  me  a  rug  from  you;  it  is  a  little  short 
and  narrow,  but  I  am  no  less  grateful  to  you  for  it. 
I  am  fairly  well.  The  weather  is  very  changeable. 
Everything  is  in  good  condition.  I  love  you  and 
am  very  anxious  to  see  you.  Good  by,  my  dear ;  I 
shall  write  to  you  to  come  with  more  pleasure  than 
you  will  come." 


THE  EMPRESS  AT  MAYENCE.  237 

December  12  he  spoke  once  more  of  this  projected 
journey  which  became  ever  more  and  more  remote, 
like  a  mirage  in  the  desert:  "My  health  is  good, 
the  weather  very  mild ;  the  bad  season  has  not  begun, 
but  the  roads  are  bad  in  a  country  where  there  are 
no  highways.  So  Hortense  will  come  with  Napoleon ; 
I  am  delighted.  I  am  impatient  to  have  things  settle 
themselves  so  that  you  can  come.  I  have  made  peace 
with  Saxony.  The  Elector  is  King  and  belongs  to 
the  confederation.  Good  by,  my  dearest  Josephine. 
Yours  ever.  A  kiss  to  Hortense,  to  Napoleon,  and 
to  Stephanie.  Paer,  the  famous  musician,  his  wife, 
whom  you  saw  at  Milan  twelve  years  ago,  and  Brizzi, 
are  here ;  they  give  me  some  music  every  evening.'* 
Napoleon  left  Posen  in  the  middle  of  December. 
The  evening  before  his  departure  he  wrote  a  letter 
to  his  wife  which  showed  the  unlikelihood  of  her 
joining  him,  as  she  hoped  to  do ;  "I  am  leaving  for 
Warsaw,  and  shall  be  back  in  a  fortnight.  I  hope 
then  to  have  you  here.  Still,  if  that  is  too  long  I 
should  be  glad  to  have  you  return  to  Paris  where 
you  are  needed.  You  know  that  I  have  to  depend 
on  events."  The  unhappy  Josephine  already  had  a 
foreboding  of  his  devotion  to  a  great  Polish  lady. 

Napoleon  reached  Warsaw  December  18,  1806. 
He  was  to  stay  there  till  the  23d,  return  there  Jan- 
uary 2,  1807,  and  not  to  go  away  till  the  31st  of  that 
month.  He  was  greeted  there  with  enthusiasm.  He 
had  said  to  his  soldiers  in  his  proclamation  on  enter- 
ing Poland :  "  The  French  eagle  is  soaring  above  the 


238        COUBT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

■      — — » 

Vistula.  The  brave  and  unfortunate  Pole,  when  lie 
sees  you,  imagines  that  he  sees  the  legions  of  Sobieski 
returning  from  their  memorable  expedition."  No  one 
understood  better  than  the  Emperor  how  to  impress 
the  imagination  of  a  people.  At  sight  of  him  the 
inhabitants  of  Warsaw  were  thrilled  with  patriotic 
joy.  It  seemed  to  them  that  their  grand  nation  was 
rising  from  the  tomb.  The  Polish  women,  with  their 
lively,  poetic,  ardent  nature,  regarded  Napoleon  as  a 
sort  of  Messiah.  In  the  intoxication  of  their  ecstatic 
admiration,  the  most  beautiful  of  them  —  and  Poland 
is  the  country  of  beauty  —  turned  towards  him,  like 
sirens,  their  most  seductive  smiles.  This  coquetry 
they  regarded  as  a  patriotic  duty.  Josephine  had 
good  grounds  for  jealousy. 

Napoleon  was  in  the  field  during  the  last  days 
of  December.  War  at  that  time  was  particularly 
fatiguing.  The  dampness,  worse  than  any  cold,  sad- 
dened the  eyes  and  wearied  the  body.  The  tempera- 
ture was  forever  changing  between  frost  and  thaw. 
Fighting  took  place  in  the  most  unfavorable  condi- 
tions. But  the  Emperor,  pitiless  for  himself  and 
every  one  else,  uttered  no  complaint.  He  wrote  from 
Golimin  to  the  Empress,  December  29,  at  five  in  the 
morning:  "I  write  but  a  word,  from  a  wretched  barn. 
I  have  beaten  the  Russians,  captured  thirty  cannon, 
their  baggage,  and  six  thousand  prisoners;  but  the 
weather  is  frightful ;  it  pours,  and  we  are  knee  deep 
in  mud."  And  from  Pultusk,  December  31 :  "  I 
have  laughed  a  good  deal  over  your  lasf  *^o  let- 


THE  EMPMESS  AT  MAYENCE.  239 

ters.  You  have  formed  a  very  inaccurate  notion 
of  the  beautiful  Polish  women.  Two  or  three  days 
I  have  had  great  pleasure  in  hearing  Paer  and  two 
women  who  have  given  me  some  very  good  music.  I 
received  your  letter  in  a  wretched  barn,  with  mud, 
wind,  and  straw  for  my  only  bed."  In  spite  of  what 
her  husband  said,  Josephine  was  right  about  the 
charm  of  the  Polish  ladies,  and  Napoleon,  on  his 
return  to  Warsaw,  January  2,  1807,  was  to  become 
seriously  interested  in  one  of  them. 

Soon  there  was  no  question  of  sending  for  the  Em- 
press, who  would  only  have  been  in  the  way.  Napo- 
leon wrote  to  her,  January  3 :  "  I  have  received  your 
letter.  Your  regret  touches  me,  but  we  must  submit 
to  events.  It  is  too  long  a  journey  from  Mayence  to 
Warsaw ;  we  must  wait  till  events  permit  my  going 
to  Berlin  before  I  can  write  for  you  to  come.  Mean- 
while, the  enemy  is  withdrawing,  defeated,  but  I  have 
a  good  many  things  to  settle  here.  I  should  advise 
your  returning  to  Paris,  where  you  are  needed.  Send 
back  those  ladies  who  have  anything  to  do  there ;  you 
will  be  better  for  getting  rid  of  people  who  tire  you. 
I  am  well ;  the  weather  is  bad.  I  love  you  much." 
The  Emperor,  utterly  taken  up  by  his  love  for  the 
Polish  lady,  was  anxious  that  Josephine,  instead  of 
coming  to  him,  should  at  once  return  promptly  to 
France.  "  My  dear,"  he  wrote  to  her,  January  7,  "  I 
am  touched  by  all  you  say,  but  the  cold  season,  the 
bad,  unsafe  roads  prevent  my  giving  my  consent  to 
your  facing  so  many  fatigues.     Return  to  Paris  for  the 


240       COUBT  OF  THE  JEMPBE88  JOSEPHINE. 

winter.  Go  to  the  Tuileries,  hold  your  receptions, 
and  live  as  you  do  when  I  am  there ;  that  is  my  wisk 
Perhaps  I  shall  join  you  there  without  delay;  but 
you  must  give  up  the  plan  of  travelling  three  hun- 
dred leagues  at  this  season,  through  hostile  countries, 
in  the  rear  of  the  army.  Be  sure  that  it  is  more 
painful  to  me  than  to  you  to  postpone  for  a  few 
weeks  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you;  but  this  is  com- 
manded by  events  and  the  state  of  affairs.  Good  by, 
my  dear,  be  happy  and  brave."  The  next  day  he 
wrote  again  on  the  same  subject :  "  I  have  yours  of 
the  27th,  with  those  of  Hortense  and  M.  Napoleon  en- 
closed. I  have  asked  you  to  go  back  to  Paris ;  the 
season  is  too  bad,  the  roads  too  insecure  and  detesta- 
ble, the  distance  too  great  for  me  to  allow  you  to 
come  so  far  to  me  when  my  affairs  detain  me.  It 
would  take  you  at  least  a  month  to  get  here.  You 
would  be  sick  when  you  got  here,  and  then,  perhaps, 
you  would  have  to  start  back ;  it  would  be  madness. 
Your  sojourn  at  Mayence  is  too  dull.  Paris  calls  for 
you ;  go  there ;  that  is  my  desire.  I  am  more  disap- 
pointed than  you;  but  we  must  bow  to  circum- 
stances." In  a  letter  of  January  11,  he  says  :  "  I  see 
very  few  people  here."  But  he  saw  the  Polish  lady, 
and  that  was  enough 

Josephine,  who  suspected  a  rival,  was  in  despair. 
Her  husband  wrote  to  console  her,  January  16  :  "I 
have  received  yours  of  January  5.  All  that  you  say 
of  your  disappointment  saddens  me.  Why  these 
tears  and  lamentations?   Have  you  not  more  courage? 


THE  EMPRESS  AT  MATENCE,  241 

I  shall  soon  see  you ;  do  not  doubt  my  feelings,  and  if 
you  wish  to  be  still  dearer  to  me,  show  character  and 
strength  of  soul.  I  am  humiliated  to  think  that  my 
wife  can  doubt  my  destinies.  Good  by,  my  dear,  I 
love  you  and  long  to  see  you,  and  want  to  hear  that 
you  are  contented  and  happy."  In  another  letter, 
January  18,  Napoleon  tried  to  cheer  up  Josephine, 
who  was  even  more  anxious  and  uneasy:  "I fear  you 
are  unhappy  about  our  separation  which  must  last 
some  weeks  yet,  and  about  returning  to  Paris.  I  beg 
of  you  to  have  more  courage.  I  hear  that  you  are 
always  crying.  Fie,  that  is  very  bad  I  Your  letter 
of  January  7  gives  me  much  pain.  Be  worthy  of  me 
and  show  more  character.  Make  a  proper  appearance 
at  Paris,  and  above  all,  be  contented.  I  am  very  well, 
and  I  love  you  much ;  but  if  you  are  always  in  tears, 
I  shall  think  you  have  no  courage  and  no  character, 
I  do  not  love  cowards ;  an  Empress  ought  to  have 
some  spirit." 

Napoleon's  will  was  not  to  be  altered.  Josephine 
was  forced  to  leave  her  daughter  and  to  return  to 
Paris.  Her  husband  wrote  to  her  from  Warsaw :  "  I 
have  your  letter  of  January  15.  It  is  impossible  for 
me  to  let  women  undertake  such  a  journey:  bad  roads, 
unsafe,  and  a  slough  of  mud.  Go  back  to  Paris ;  be 
happy  and  contented  there ;  perhaps  I  shall  be  there 
soon.  I  laugh  at  what  you  say,  that  you  married  to 
be  with  your  husband.  I  had  thought  in  my  igno- 
rance that  the  wife  was  created  for  the  husband,  the 
husband  for  the  country,  the  family,  and  glory.     For- 


242       COtTltT  OF  TBE  FMPBESS  JOSEPHINE 

give  my  ignorance.  Good  by,  my  dear,  believe  that 
I  regret  that  I  cannot  have  you  come.  Say  to  your- 
self, '  It  is  a  proof  how  dear  I  am  to  him.' "  All  these 
fine  words  could  not  console  Josephine,  who  knew 
from  experience  that  Napoleon,  like  many  unfaithful 
husbands,  had  a  smooth  tongue  when  he  needed  for- 
giveness. In  vain  she  had  waited  four  months  at 
Mayence  for  permission  to  rejoin  her  husband.  She 
at  last  found  herself  obliged  to  leave  this  town  where 
she  had  no  other  pleasure  than  the  sight  of  her 
daughter  and  her  grandchildren,  from  whom  she 
parted  with  pain.  January  27  she  was  at  Strassburg, 
and  the  31st,  at  Paris. 


XXI. 

THE  RETURN  OP  THE  EMPRESS  TO    PARIS. 

THE  Empress  Josephine  was  much  loved  in 
France,  and  especially  in  Paris,  where  her  gen- 
tleness, amiability,  and  great  kindliness  had  won  for 
her  all  sympathies,  even  those  of  people  who  were 
hostile  to  the  Emperor.  Her  return  to  the  capital 
was  greeted  with  pleasure,  and  her  presence  awak- 
ened it  from  its  previous  gloom.  The  Moniteur  thus 
describes  her  passage  through  the  chief  town  of  the 
department  of  the  Lower  Rhine.  "  Strassburg,  Jan- 
uary 23, 1807.  Her  Majesty  the  Empress  and  Queen 
arrived  within  our  walls  yesterday,  the  27th,  on  her 
way  from  Mayence  to  Paris.  Her  Majesty  having 
consented  to  notify  the  Counsellor  of  State,  Prefect 
Shde,  that  she  would  accept  a  modest  entertainment, 
this  news  spread  lively  joy  throughout  this  city. 
This  proof  of  the  Empress's  kindness,  accompanied 
by  the  gracious  memory  she  wished  to  testify  for  the 
people  of  Strassburg,  made  the  preparations  for  this 
impromptu  event  easy,  and  in  spite  of  the  brief  time 
between  the  announcement  and  the  arrival  of  Her 
Majesty,  a  numerous  and  brilliant  company  was  soon 

243 


244       COURT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

•——  — ■ —  ^ '    - '  '    ■  '       .      -I         — . — ■     —  "^ 

assembled  at  the  Prefecture.  The  hall  was  elegantly 
decorated;  the  emblems  and  mottoes  recalled  the 
object  of  the  festivity.  After  a  square  dance  and  a 
waltz,  Her  Majesty  passed  through  the  company, 
addressing  a  kind  word  to  every  lady  present."  The 
next  day,  January  28,  at  seven  in  the  morning,  the 
Empress  started,  amid  cries  of  "  Long  live  Joseph- 
ine I"  She  reached  the  Tuileries  January  31,  at 
eight  in  the  evening.  The  next  day,  at  noon,  guns 
were  fired  at  the  Invalides,  to  announce  her  return. 
The  great  bodies  of  the  state  solicited  the  honor  of 
offering  her  their  homages.  She  was  a  little  tired  by 
her  journey,  and  was  unable  to  receive  them  till 
February  5. 

At  this  reception  she  was  the  object  of  almost  as 
much  flattery  as  was  the  Emperor.  We  quote  a  few 
of  the  phrases :  — 

M.  Monge^  President  of  the  Senate :  "  Madame,  the 
Senate  lays  at  the  feet  of  Your  Imperial  and  Royal 
Majesty  the  tribute  of  its  profound  respect  and  the 
homage  of  the  administration  with  which  it  is  ani- 
mated for  all  your  virtues.  ...  It  congratulates 
itself  on  seeing  again,  in  the  capital,  the  august 
spouse  to  whom  our  adored  ruler  has  given  all  his 
confidence  and  who  deserves  it  in  so  many  ways." 

M.  de  Fontanes,  President  of  the  Legislative  Body  : 
"  Half  of  our  wishes  are  granted.  The  presence  of 
Your  Majesty  will  make  us  attend  less  impatiently 
another  return  that  the  French  desire  with  you.  .  .  . 
Paris  consoles  itself  for  not  seeing  him  who  gives 


BETUBN  OF  THE  EMPRESS   TO  PARIS.       245 

such  glory  to  the  throne,  by  finding  in  you  her  who 
has  always  lent  to  Sovereignty  so  much  charm,  so 
much  gentleness  and  kindness." 

M,  Fabre,  President  of  the  Tribunal :  "  Madame, 
your  return  has  aroused  the  keenest  joy.  The  mem- 
ory of  that  delicate  kindness  which  knew  how  to 
temper  so  many  woes;  of  that  active  beneficence 
which  repaired  so  many  misfortunes,  is  imprinted  on 
every  heart.  Every  one  says :  '  Providence  in  giving 
to  us  the  hero,  whose  vast  designs  are  crowned  with 
the  most  constant  and  prompt  success,  desired  to 
complete  his  kindness,  by  placing  near  him  her  to 
whom  every  stricken  heart  turns,  who  is  the  most 
agreeable  object  of  gratitude,  and  who,  moreover, 
throughout  France  is  called  the  friend  of  misfortune.'  '* 

M.  Lejea9^  First  Vicar- Q-eneral  of  the  Chapter  of 
Notre  Dame  (speaking  in  the  place  of  the  Cardinal 
Archbishop  of  Paris,  who  was  ill):  "Madame,  His 
Eminence  the  Archbishop,  our  worthy  prelate,  has 
commanded  me  to  convey  to  Your  Imperial  and 
Royal  Majesty  his  regrets  at  not  being  able  himself 
to  present  to  you  the  chapter  and  clergy  of  Paris. 
'Go,'  that  venerable  old  man  said  to  me,  'and  as- 
sure the  benevolent  Empress  from  me  that  I  thor- 
oughly share  the  joy  which  every  one  feels  at  her 
return.  Tell  her  that  never  a  moment  passes  that  I 
do  not  address  to  Heaven  the  most  fervent  prayers 
for  the  happiness  of  France  and  of  our  invincible 
Emperor,  and  for  the  success  of  his  arms.  The  Lord 
has  deigned  to  grant  my  prayers;  in  a  very  short 


246       COURT  OF  THE  l^MPRESS  JOSSPHINR 

time  astounding  prodigies  have  been  wrought  by- 
Napoleon,  and  I  offer  my  thanks.'  The  chapter  and 
the  clergy  of  Paris  pray  for  Your  Majesty  to  be  sure 
that  their  feelings  for  your  sacred  person  and  for 
that  of  your  august  husband  are  like  those  of  His 
Eminence." 

The  Prefect  of  the  Seine :  "  You  are  far  from  the 
Emperor,  Madame,  but  Paris,  too,  is  far  from  him. 
Well,  to  mitigate  this  separation,  equally  painful  for 
Paris  and  for  Your  Majesty,  Paris  and  Your  Majesty 
will  talk  to  one  another  much  about  the  Emperor. 
You  will  take  pleasure  in  hearing  that  his  subjects  of 
the  good  city  of  Paris  are  ever  faithful  to  him ;  that 
they  are  prepared  for  every  act  of  devotion  which 
may  be  demanded  by  his  glory,  the  honor  of  the  Em- 
pire, and  the  resolution  he  has  formed  of  not  laying 
down  his  arms  until  he  has  assured  the  peace  of 
nations.  You  will  take  pleasure  in  seeing  us  follow 
in  thought,  even  to  the  most  distant  climes,  his  ever 
victorious  eagles.  In  short,  Madame,  at  every  exploit 
of  the  Grand  Army,  you  will  be  glad  to  hear  the  loud 
applause  which  we  have  often  wished  could  reach  you, 
even  in  the  camps  of  the  founder  of  the  Empire,  and 
then  touched  by  the  sincerity  of  our  prayers,  you  will 
deign  to  listen  to  them,  and  sometimes  even  to  be 
their  interpreter." 

In  spite  of  these  official  flatteries,  and  more  or' less 
interested  compliments,  the  Empress  was  far  from 
happy.  Possibly  she  imagined  that  soon,  even  in  her 
lifetime,  the  same  homage  would  be  addressed  by  the 


BETURN  OF  THE  EMPBESS   TO  PABIS.       247 

same  persons,  in  the  same  palace,  to  another  woman. 
Besides  this,  however,  she  had  many  causes  for  dis- 
tress. She  suffered  from  the  absence  of  her  children, 
from  her  daughter's  domestic  unhappiness,  from  the 
Emperor's  remoteness,  his  infidelities  in  Poland,  from 
the  dangers  threatening  him  in  this  relentless  and  dis- 
tant war.  She  wrote  to  her  daughter  February  3: 
"  I  got  here,  dear  Hortense,  the  evening  of  the  31st, 
as  I  expected.  My  journey  was  pleasant,  if  I  can  call 
it  so  when  it  separated  me  further  from  the  Emperor. 
I  have  received  five  letters  from  him  since  my  de- 
parture. I  need  to  hear  from  you  now  that  you  are 
no  longer  with  me  to  console  me.  Tell  me  how  you 
are ;  write  to  me  about  your  husband  and  children. 
Although  I  see  more  people  here  than  at  Mayence,  I 
am  quite  as  lonely,  and  you  will  seem  to  be  with  me 
if  you  write.  Good  by,  my  dear,  I  love  you  ten- 
derly." Josephine  yearned  all  the  more  eagerly  for 
happiness  as  a  mother,  because  as  wife  she  suffered 
cruelly,  and  the  torments  of  jealousy  were  added  to 
her  grief  at  the  Emperor's  absence. 

To  one  of  the  last  letters  his  wife  had  written  from 
Mayence  Napoleon  answered  in  an  undated  letter 
which  she  received  in  Paris:  "My  dear,  your  let- 
ter of  January  20,  has  pained  me  much;  it  is  too 
sad.  That  is  the  result  of  excessive  piety  I  You  tell 
me  that  your  happiness  makes  your  glory.  That  is 
ungenerous;  you  ought  to  say,  the  happiness  of 
others  makes  my  glory.  It  is  not  like  a  mother ;  you 
ought  to  say,  the  happiness  of  my  children  is  my 


248        COUBT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

glory.  It  is  not  like  a  wife ;  you  ought  to  say,  my 
husband's  happiness  makes  my  glory.  Now,  since 
the  nation,  your  husband,  your  children  cannot  be 
happy  without  a  little  glory,  you  should  not  despise 
it.  Josephine,  you  have  a  good  heart,  but  a  weak 
head ;  your  feelings  are  most  admirable ;  you  reason 
less  well.  But  that  is  enough  squabbling;  I  want 
you  to  be  merry,  content  with  your  lot,  and  to  obey, 
not  grumbling  and  crying,  but  cheerfully  and  happily. 
Good  by,  my  dear.  I'm  off  to-night,  to  inspect  my 
outposts."  It  must  be  confessed  that  to  be  as  merry 
as  the  Emperor  demanded,  Josephine  would  have 
needed  a  very  exceptional  character.  Her  husband 
was  at  the  other  end  of  Europe,  never  interrupting 
the  intense  emotions  and  great  risks  of  a  colossal 
struggle  except  for  brief  distractions,  which,  how- 
ever, could  not  be  agreeable,  so  suspicious  and  jealous 
as  she  was. 

Constant,  the  Emperor's  valet  de  chambre,  has 
recounted  in  his  Memoirs,  the  passion  with  which  a 
beautiful  Polish  lady  inspired  his  master,  early  in 
1807.  Napoleon  spent  the  whole  month  of  January 
at  Warsaw  in  a  great  palace.  The  Polish  nobility 
gave  him  magnificent  balls,  and  at  one  of  them  he 
noticed  a  young  woman  of  twenty-two,  Madame  V., 
who  had  recently  married  an  old  nobleman,  a  most 
worthy  man  of  stern  principles  and  severe  nature. 
By  the  side  of  her  aged  husband,  this  young  woman, 
whose  sadness  and  melancholy  only  added  to  her 
beauty,  was  like  a  victim  in  waiting  for  a  consoler. 


RETURN  OF  THE  EMPRESS  TO  PARIS.        249 

She  was  a  charming  person,  with  light  hair,  blue 
eyes,  a  brilliant  complexion,  a  graceful  figure,  and 
dignified  carriage.  The  Emperor  went  up  to  her, 
addressed  her,  and  was  soon  delighted  by  her  con- 
versation. He  imagined  that  she  was  unhappily  mar- 
ried and  he  at  once  conceived  a  warm  love  for  her, 
intenser  and  far  more  serious  than  any  he  had  ever 
felt  for  one  of  his  favorites.  The  next  day  he  was 
noticeably  restless.  He  would  get  up  and  walk 
about,  then  sit  down  only  to  get  on  his  feet  again. 
"I  thought,"  Constant  goes  on,  "that  I  should  never 
get  him  dressed  that  day.  Immediately  after  break- 
fast he  despatched  a  great  personage,  whose  name  I 
shall  not  give,  to  pay  a  visit  to  Madame  V.,  and  carry 
his  regards  and  entreaties.  She  proudly  refused  to 
listen  to  his  propositions,  possibly  on  account  of  their 
suddenness,  or,  it  may  be,  by  natural  coquetry.  The 
hero  had  pleased  her ;  the  thought  of  having  a  lover 
resplendent  with  power  and  glory  fascinated  her,  but 
she  had  no  idea  of  yielding  without  a  struggle.  The 
grand  personage  returned  in  great  surprise  and  com- 
passion at  the  failure  of  his  negotiation." 

Constant  says  that  he  found  his  master  the  next 
morning  very  busy.  The  Emperor  had  written  many 
letters  the  previous  evening  to  the  Polish  lady,  who 
had  made  no  reply.  His  pride  was  wounded  by  a 
resistance  to  which  he  had  not  been  accustomed  since 
he  had  become  great.  At  last,  however,  he  had 
written  so  many,  and  such  ardent  and  touching 
letters,  that  she  consented  to  visit  him  one  evening 


250       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE, 

between  ten  and  eleven.  The  grand  personage  who 
had  tried  to  make  the  negotiations,  was  ordered  to  go 
to  a  remote  spot  and  receive  the  lady  in  a  carriage. 
Napoleon  paced  the  room  while  awaiting  her,  betray- 
ing emotion  and  impatience.  "At  last  Madame  V. 
arrived,"  says  Constant,  whose  master  kept  asking 
him  what  time  it  was.  "  She  was  in  a  most  pitiable 
condition,  pale,  silent,  her  eyes  full  of  tears.  As 
soon  as  she  appeared,  I  led  her  to  the  Emperor's  room. 
She  could  scarcely  stand  and  she  was  trembling  as 
she  leaned  on  my  arm.  Then  I  withdrew  with  the 
great  personage  who  had  brought  her.  During  her 
interview  with  the  Emperor,  Madame  V.  wept  and 
sobbed  so  that  I  could  overhear  her  even  at  a  great 
distance.  At  about  two  in  the  morning,  the  Emperor 
called  me.  I  went  to  him  and  saw  Madame  V.  going 
away,  with  her  handkerchief  at  her  eyes,  weeping 
freely.  The  same  personage  carried  her  away.  I 
thought  she  would  never  come  back."  But,  contrary 
to  his  expectations,  Madame  V.  came  back  two  or 
three  days  later  at  about  the  same  hour ;  she  seemed 
calmer,  her  eyes  were  less  red,  her  face  not  so  pale, 
and  she  continued  her  visits  during  the  Emperor's 
stay.  Evidently  Josephine  had  good  grounds  for 
jealousy. 

Napoleon  interrupted  these  distractions  by  going 
forth  to  fight  the  battle  of  Eylau,  one  of  the  bloodiest 
and  most  obstinate  combats  known  to  history.  He 
described  it  in  two  letters  to  the  Empress,  written  in 
the  same  day.     This  is  the  first :  — 


RETURN  OF  THE  EMPRESS   TO  PARIS,       251 

"Eylau,  February  9,  1803,  3  A.M.  My  Dear: 
We  had  a  great  battle  yesterday,  I  was  victorious, 
but  our  loss  was  heavy;  that  of  the  enemy,  which 
was  even  greater,  is  no  consolation  for  me.  I  write 
you  these  few  lines  myself,  though  I  am  very  tired, 
to  tell  you  that  I  am  well  and  love  you.  Ever 
yours." 

This  is  the  second :  — 

"  Eylau,  February  9,  6  p.m.  I  write  a  word  lest 
you  should  be  anxious.  The  evening  lost  the  battle ; 
forty  cannon,  ten  flags,  twelve  thousand  prisoners, 
suffering  horribly.  I  lost  sixteen  hundred  killed 
and  three  to  four  thousand  wounded.  Your  cousin, 
Tascher,  is  unhurt.  I  have  placed  him  on  my  staff 
as  artillery  officer.  Corbineau  was  killed  by  a  shell. 
I  was  exceedingly  attached  to  him ;  he  was  an  excel- 
lent officer,  and  I  am  deeply  distressed.  My  Horse 
Guard  covered  itself  with  glory.  D'Allemagne  is 
dangerously  wounded.     Good  by,  my  dear." 

The  Emperor  did  not  tell  everything  to  Josephine ; 
he  said  nothing  about  the  terrible  vicissitudes  of  the 
battle,  a  victory  scarcely  to  be  distinguished  from  a 
defeat ;  he  kept  silence  about  the  cruel  sufferings  of 
his  army  which,  without  having  eaten,  had  fought 
amid  blinding  snow  beneath  a  leaden  sky ;  he  said  no 
word  about  the  regiments  destroyed,  one  in  particu- 
lar, from  colonel  to  drummers,  all  killed  or  wounded; 
he  did  not  mention  his  own  danger  in  the  cemetery 
on  the  hill,  where  he  had  stood  surrounded  by  his 
Guard,   his   last   resource,   anxiously   watching  the 


252       COUBT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

fight  from  its  beginning,  slashing  the  snow  with  his 
whip,  and  exclaiming  at  the  approach  of  the  Russian 
Grenadiers  as  they  advanced  towards  him,  "  What 
audacity  r*  He  did  not  say  that  after  the  terrible 
and  fruitless  bloodshed,  which  both  armies  claimed 
as  a  victory,  he  had  been  obliged  to  withdraw,  and 
that  Bennigsen  had  taken  possession  of  the  hotly  dis- 
puted battle-field.  He  did  not  say  what  he  was  about 
to  say  in  his  bulletins :  "  Imagine,  on  a  space  a  league 
square,  nine  or  ten  thousand  corpses;  four  or  five 
thousand  dead  horses;  lines  of  Russian  knapsacks; 
fragments  of  guns  and  sabres ;  the  earth  covered  with 
bullets,  shells,  supplies;  twenty-four  cannon  sur- 
rounded by  their  artillery-men,  slain  just  as  they  were 
trying  to  take  their  guns  away ;  and  all  that  in  plain- 
est relief  on  the  stretch  of  snow."  He  did  not  quote 
the  words  he  uttered  in  the  biting  frost,  in  face  of 
thousands  of  dead  and  dying,  when  the  gloomy  day 
was  sinking  into  a  night  of  anguish :  "  This  sight  is 
one  to  fill  rulers  with  a  love  of  peace  and  a  horror  of 
war."  No ;  the  Emperor  did  not  tell  her  everything. 
In  another  letter,  dated  Eylau,  February  11,  3  a.m., 
the  Emperor  tried  to  reassure  the  Empress  :  "  1  senri 
you  a  line;  you  must  have  been  very  anxious,  J 
fought  the  enemy  on  a  memorable  day  which  cost 
me  many  brave  men.  The  bad  weather  drove  me 
into  winter  quarters.  Do  not  distress  yourself,  I  beg 
of  you ;  it  will  all  be  over  soon,  and  my  delight  -at 
seeing  you  once  more  will  soon  make  me  forget  my 
fatigue.     Besides,  I  have  never  been  better.     Lit  tit 


RETURN   OF  THE  EMPRESS  TO  PARIS.       253 

Tascher,  of  the  fourth  of  the  line,  did  well ;  and  he 
had  a  hard  experience.  I  have  given  him  a  place 
near  me,  in  the  artillery;  so  his  troubles  are  over. 
The  young  man  interests  me.  Good  by,  my  dear ;  a 
thousand  kisses." 

From  this  moment  the  Emperor's  letters  to  his  wife 
became  cold,  short,  dull,  and  utterly  insignificant; 
speaking  of  nothing  but  the  rain,  or  the  good  weather, 
and  perpetually  bidding  her  to  be  cheerful.  A  clear- 
witted  person  ought  to  see  readily  that  Napoleon, 
who  was  otherwise  occupied,  wrote  to  the  Empress 
only  from  a  sense  of  duty.  Here  are  four  letters  ;  the 
first  from  Landsberg,  the  other  three  from  Liebstadt. 
February  18 :  "I  write  a  line.  I  am  well.  I  am  busy 
putting  the  army  into  winter  quarters.  It  is  raining 
and  thawing  like  April.  We  have  not  yet  had  a  cold 
day.  Good  by,  my  dear.  Yours  ever."  February 
20 :  "I  write  a  line  that  you  may  not  be  anxious. 
My  health  is  good,  and  everything  is  in  good  con- 
dition. I  have  put  the  army  into  winter  quarters. 
It  is  a  curious  season,  freezing  and  thawing,  damp 
and  changeable.  Good  by,  my  dear."  February  21 : 
"  I  have  yours  of  February  4,  and  am  glad  to  hear 
that  you  are  well.  Paris  will  give  you  cheerfulness 
and  rest ;  the  return  to  your  usual  habits  will  restore 
your  health.  I  am  wonderfully  well.  The  weather 
and  the  country  are  wretched.  Everything  is  in  good 
condition;  it  freezes  and  thaws  every  day;  it  is  a 
most  singular  winter.  Good  by,  my  dear.  I  think 
of  you,  and  am  anxious  to  hear  that  you  are  con- 


254        COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

tented,  cheerful,  and  happy.  Ever  yours."  Feb- 
ruary 22 ;  "I  have  your  letter  of  the  8th.  I  am  glad 
to  hear  that  you  have  been  to  the- Opera,  and  that  you 
mean  to  receive  every  week.  Go  to  the  theatre  occa- 
sionally, and  always  sit  in  the  grand  box.  I  am 
pleased  with  the  festivities  given  to  you.  I  am  very 
well.  The  weather  continues  unsettled,  freezing  and 
thawing.  I  have  put  the  army  into  winter  quarters 
to  rest  it.  Don't  be  sad,  and  believe  that  I  love  you." 
Towards  the  end  of  February  Napoleon  had  estab- 
lished his  headquarters  at  Osterode,  where  he  lived 
in  a  sort  of  barn,  from  which  he  governed  his  Empire 
and  controlled  Europe.  He  wrote  to  his  brother 
Joseph,  March  1,  about  the  sufferings  of  this  severe 
campaign  in  Poland.  "  The  staff-officers  have  not 
taken  off  their  clothes  for  two  months,  and  some  not 
for  four.  I  have  myself  been  a  fortnight  without 
taking  off  my  boots.  .  .  .  We  are  deep  in  the  snow 
and  mud,  without  wine,  brandy,  or  bread,  living  on 
meat  and  potatoes,  making  long  marches  and  counter- 
marches, without  any  comforts,  and  generally  fight- 
ing with  the  bayonets  under  grape-shot ;  the  wounded 
have  to  be  carried  in  open  sleighs  for  fifty  leagues. 
.  .  .  We  are  making  war  in  all  its  excitement  and 
horror."  It  is  easy  to  see  that  Josephine,  who  knew 
all  this,  had  good  grounds  for  anxiety.  Paris  was 
empty  and  gloomy ;  every  face  was  sad»  France  is 
easily  tired  of  everything,  even  of  glory.  The  audi- 
tors of  the  Council  of  State,  who  were  sent  to  Osterode 
to  carry  to  the  Emperor  the  reports  of  the  different 


BETURN  OF  THE  EMPRESS  TO  PARIS.       255 

ministers,  returned  to  Paris  in  deep  distress  at  tlie 
sights  they  had  seen,  and  spread  alarm  in  official 
circles.  Napoleon  consequently  decided  that  those 
reports  should  be  brought  to  him  by  staff-officers,  who 
were  more  inured  to  scenes  of  distress. 

From  headquarters  at  Osterode  the  Emperor  sent 
eleven  letters  to  the  Empress  between  February  23 
and  April  1, 1807,  but  he  said  nothing  of  importance 
in  them.  Thus :  "  Try  to  pass  your  time  agreeably ; 
don't  be  anxious.  I  am  in  a  wretched  village  where 
I  shall  be  some  time ;  it's  not  so  pleasant  as  a  large 
city.  I  tell  you  again,  I  have  never  been  so  well ; 
you  will  find  me  much  stouter.  ...  I  have  ordered 
what  you  want  for  Malmaison;  be  happy  and  cheer- 
ful; that's  what  I  desire.  I  am  waiting  for  good 
weather,  which  must  come  soon.  I  love  you,  and 
want  to  hear  that  you  are  contented  and  cheerful. 
You  will  hear  a  good  deal  of  nonsense  about  the 
battle  of  Eylau;  the  bulletin  tells  everything;  its 
report  of  the  losses  is  rather  exaggerated  than  cut 
down."  At  the  same  time  he  somewhat  reproved  his 
wife :  "  I  am  sorry  to  hear  that  there  is  a  renewal  of 
the  mischievous  talk  such  as  there  was  in  your  draw- 
ing-room at  Mayence ;  put  a  stop  to  it.  I  shall  be 
much  annoyed  if  you  don't  find  some  clue.  You  let 
yourself  be  distressed  by  the  talk  of  people  who 
ought  to  cheer  you  up.  I  recommend,  to  you  a  little 
firmness,  and  to  learn  how  to  put  everybody  in  his 
place.  My  dear,  you  must  not  go  to  the  small 
theatres  in  private  boxes;  it  does  not  suit  your  rank; 


256       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

you  ought  to  go  only  to  the  four  large  theatres  and 
always  sit  in  the  Imperial  box.  If  you  want  to  please 
me,  you  must  live  as  you  did  when  I  was  in  Paris. 
Then  you  did  not  go  to  the  small  theatres  or  such 
places.  You  ought  always  to  go  to  the  Imperial  box. 
For  your  life  at  home,  you  must  have  regular  recep- 
tions ;  that  is  the  only  way  of  winning  my  approval. 
Greatness  has  its  inconveniences.  An  Empress  can't 
go  about  everywhere  like  a  commoner." 

The  greatness  which  the  Emperor  spoke  about  was 
no  consolation  to  Josephine.  She  was  unhappier 
beneath  the  gilded  ceilings  of  the  Tuileries  than  a 
peasant  woman  in  a  hovel.  She  besought  her  hus- 
band to  let  her  join  him  in  Poland,  and  wrote  to  him 
despairing  letters. 

Napoleon  answered  from  Osterode,  March  27: 
"  My  dear,  I  am  much  pained  by  your  letters.  You 
must  not  die;  you  are  well  and  have  no  real 
cause  of  grief.  I  think  you  ought  to  go  to  Saint 
Cloud  in  May,  but  you  ought  to  spend  April  in 
Paris.  .  .  .  You  must  not  think  of  travelling  this 
summer;  all  that  is  impossible.  You  couldn't  be 
racing  through  inns  and  camps.  I  am  as  anxious  as 
you  can  be  to  see  you  and  be  quiet.  I  understand 
other  things  than  war ;  but  duty  is  before  everything. 
All  my  life  I  have  sacrificed  everything  —  peace,  in- 
terest, happiness  —  to  my  destiny."  These  phrases  in 
no  way  consoled  Josephine  who  knew  very  well  that 
her  husband,  in  spite  of  his  assumption  of  Spartan 
austerity,  occasionally  indulged  in  distractions. 


RETURN  OF  THE  EMPRESS  TO  PARIS.       257 

In  the  month  of  March  something  occurred  which 
somewhat  moderated  the  Empress's  sufferings.  Her 
daughter-in-law,  the  Vice-Queen  of  Italy,  gave  birth 
at  Milan,  on  the  17th,  to  a  daughter  who  was  named 
Josephine  Maximilienne  Augusta.  She  it  was  who 
was  to  marry,  in  1827,  Oscar,  Crown  Prince  and  later 
King  of  Sweden.  "You  will  hear  with  pleasure,'* 
the  Empress  wrote  Queen  Hortense,  "  of  the  Princess 
Augusta's  happy  delivery.  Eugene  is  delighted  with 
his  daughter ;  his  only  complaint  is  that  she  sleeps 
too  much,  so  that  he  can't  see  her  as  much  as  he 
would  like."  Josephine  would  gladly  have  gone  to 
Milan  to  congratulate  her  son  and  to  kiss  her  grand- 
daughter, but  her  grandeur  kept  her  in  Paris,  where 
the  prolongation  of  her  husband's  absence  and  the 
torments  of  too  well  justified  jealousy  plxmged  her 
into  the  deepest  gloom. 

Napoleon  became  tired  of  the  monotonous  and  ex- 
cessively disagreeable  stay  at  Osterode,  where  he 
could  not  receive  the  Polish  lady  to  whom  he  became 
continually  more  and  more  attached.  Early  in  April 
he  installed  himself  at  Finkenstein,  in  a  pretty  castle 
belonging  to  a  Prussian  crown  official,  and  there  he 
was  very  comfortably  quartered  with  his  staff  and 
military  household.  It  was  from  thence  that  he 
wrote,  April  2,  the  following  short  letter  to  Josephine  : 
"  My  dear,  I  send  you  a  line.  I  have  just  moved  my 
headquarters  to  a  very  pretty  castle,  like  that  of 
Bessi^res,  where  I  have  a  number  of  open  fireplaces, 
whic)i  is  very  pleasant  for  me,  as  I  get  up  often  in  the 


258       COURT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

night ;  I  like  to  see  the  fire.  My  health  is  perfect ; 
the  weather  is  fine,  but  still  cold.  The  thermometer 
is  but  a  few  degrees  from  freezing.  Good  by,  my 
dear.  Ever  yours."  As  soon  as  Napoleon  was  settled 
in  this  castle  his  first  thought  was  to  send  for  the 
Polish  lady,  for  whom  he  had  fitted  up  an  apartment 
near  his  own.  She  left  at  Warsaw  her  old  husband, 
who  never  consented  to  see  her  again,  and  spent  three 
weeks  with  the  Emperor.  "  They  took  all  their  meals 
together,"  says  Constant.  "I  was  the  only  one  in 
attendance,  so  I  was  able  to  overhear  their  talk  which 
was  always  amiable,  lively,  and  eager  on  the  part  of 
the  Emperor,  always  tender,  affectionate  and  melan- 
choly on  the  part  of  Madame  V.  When  His  Majesty 
was  away  Madame  V.  spent  all  her  time  in  reading 
or  looking  through  the  blinds  of  the  Emperor's  room 
at  the  parades  and  drills  going  on  in  the  courtyard  of 
the  castle,  which  he  often  directed  in  person."  Con- 
stant, who  felt  bound  to  admire  his  master's  choice, 
adds  with  some  feeling:  "The  Emperor  appeared  to 
appreciate  perfectly  the  interesting  qualities  of  this 
angelic  woman,  whose  gentle,  unselfish  character  left 
on  me  an  impression  that  can  never  fade.  .  .  .  Her 
life,  like  her  nature,  was  calm  and  uniform.  Her 
character  fascinated  the  Emperor  and  bound  him  down 
to  her."  This  loving  idyl,  a  sort  of  interlude  in  the 
tragedy  of  war,  may  have  suited  Constant's  taste,  but 
it  was  hardly  of  a  nature  to  please  Josephine,  who, 
like  most  jealous  people,  knew  almost  always  what 
she  wanted  to  know,  and  from  the  Tuileries  found 


BETUBN  OF  THE  EMPBESS   TO  PABIS.       259 

means  to  watch  what  was  going  on  in  this  distant 
castle. 

Napoleon's  letters  to  Josephine  during  the  reign  of 
Madame  V.  were  shorter  and  more  stupid  than  usual. 
They  were  merely  a  few  lines  on  the  weather,  the 
Emperor's  health,  or  his  desire  to  hear  that  his  wife 
was  "  cheerful  and  happy."  But,  alas  I  cheerfulness 
and  happiness  were  not  for  her  I  Too  astute  to  be 
hoodwinked,  she  understood  that  her  husband  still 
had  a  friendly  feeling  for  her  but  that  his  love  was 
dead.  In  the  eyes  of  a  jealous  woman,  friendship  is 
a  slight  thing.  What  does  she  care  for  the  esteem 
and  attentions  of  a  friend  who  was  once  her  lover  ? 
To  all  the  good  services  of  friendship  she  would  a 
thousand  times  prefer  the  anger,  fury,  violence,  of 
love. 


XXII.^ 

THE  DEATH  OF  THE  YOUNG  NAPOLEOK. 


QUEEN  HORTENSE  was  no  happier  in  her  Hol- 
land palaces  than  was  the  Empress  in  the  Tuil- 
eries.  She  had  to  endure  all  the  grief,  deception,  and 
misery  of  an  ill-assorted  marriage.  The  incompatibil- 
ity of  disposition  which  existed  between  her  husband 
and  herself  from  the  first  days  of  their  married  life, 
made  itself  continually  more  felt.  King  Louis  blamed 
his  wife  not  merely  for  her  faults,  but  also  for  her 
good  qualities.  He  was  sometimes  annoyed  because 
she  was  gracious,  amiable,  charming ;  and  the  general 
sympathy  she  aroused  in  Holland,  as  in  France, 
excited  the  fears  of  this  irritable  and  sullen  husband. 
Hortense  looked  upon  herself  as  a  victim.  She  had 
a  lively  imagination,  and  exaggerated  her  grief  to 
herself,  suffering  more  keenly  on  account  of  her 
excitement,  which  was  often  very  great.  One  day 
she  said  to  Madame  de  Edmusat,  her  intimate  and 
admiring  friend,  that  her  life  was  so  painful  and 
apparently  so  hopeless  that  when  she  was  at  one  of 
her  villas  near  the  sea,  and  looked  out  on  the  ocean 
where  were  the  English  fleets  blockading  her  ports, 


DEATH  OF  THE  YOUNG  NAPOLEON.         261 

she  wished  that  chance  might  bring  a  ship  to  where 
she  was,  and  she  might  be  carried  off  a  prisoner. 

The  conjugal  infelicities  of  Louis  and  his  wife 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  Emperor,  who  kept  as 
strict  a  guard  over  his  family  as  over  his  Empire,  and 
was  as  prompt  to  exercise  control  in  private,  as  in 
political  matters.  He  wanted  his  brother  to  obey 
him,  both  as  King  and  husband,  and  in  his  discontent 
at  seeing  his  orders  disobeyed,  he  wrote  to  him,  from 
the  depths  of  Poland,  April  4,  1807,  this  reproachful 
letter,  which  is  a  real  reprimand:  "Your  quarrels 
with  the  Queen  have  become  public.  Show,  then,  in 
private  life  some  of  that  paternal  and  effeminate 
character  which  you  display  in  matters  of  govern- 
ment, and  in  business  the  same  rigor  you  exercise  in 
your  household.  You  treat  a  young  woman  as  we 
treat  a  regiment.  .  .  .  You  have  an  excellent  and 
most  virtuous  wife  and  you  make  her  unhappy.  Let 
her  dance  as  much  as  she  pleases ;  she  is  young.  My 
wife  is  forty ;  I  wrote  to  her  from  the  battle-field  to 
go  to  a  ball.  And  you  want  a  young  woman  of 
twenty,  who  sees  her  life  flitting,  and  has  every  illu- 
sion, to  live  in  a  cloister,  or  to  be  always  washing 
her  baby  like  a  nurse.  You  are  too  much  i/ou  in 
your  household,  and  not  enough  in  your  administra- 
tion. H  should  not  say  all  this  to  you  except  for 
the  interest  I  have  for  you.  Make  the  mother  of 
your  children  happy ;  you  have  one  way  to  do  this : 
that  is,  by  showing  her  esteem  and  confidence. 
Unfortunately  your  wife   is   too   virtuous;    if   you 


262        COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

had  married  a  coquette  she  would  lead  you  by  the 
end  of  your  nose.  But  you  have  a  proud  wife  who  is 
afflicted  and  distressed  by  the  mere  thought  that  you 
may  have  a  bad  opinion  of  her.  You  ought  to  have 
married  any  one  of  a  number  of  women  whom  I  know 
in  Paris ;  she  would  have  had  no  difficulty  in  getting 
ahead  of  you  and  would  have  kept  you  at  her  feet. 
It  is  not  my  fault,  I  have  often  told  your  wife  so." 
Thus  the  Emperor,  by  taking  part  in  behalf  of  his 
daughter-in-law  and  against  his  brother,  took  a  posi- 
tion as  arbiter  in  their  domestic  quarrels.  This  inter- 
ference was  all  the  more  galling  to  Louis,  —  who 
would  have  liked  to  be  master  in  both  his  own  king- 
dom and  in  his  own  house,  —  that  calumny,  as  he  well 
knew,  persisted  in  representing  the  Emperor  as  his 
rival  in  Hortense's  love,  and  as  the  father  of  the 
Crown  Prince. 

This  child  was  named  Napoleon  Charles.  He  was 
born  in  Paris,  October  10,  1802.  His  grandmother, 
Josephine,  nourished  the  hope  that  some  day  he  might 
be  heir  to  the  Empire,  and  she  regarded  his  birth  as 
a  pledge  of  final  reconciliation  between  the  Bona- 
partes  and  the  Beauharnaises.  She  believed  that  his 
cradle  saved  her  from  divorce.  The  Emperor,  who 
always  liked  children,  was  especially  fond  of  his 
nephew.  He  watched  his  growth  with  the  keenest 
interest,  admiring  his  amiability,  his  precocity,  his 
excellent  disposition.  The  boy  was  really  remarka- 
ble for  intelligence  and  beauty.  His  large  blue  eyes 
reflected  every  mood  of  his  mind.      Good,  loving, 


DEATH  OF  THE   YOUNG  NAPOLEON.         263 

frank,  and  merry,  he  needed  only  to  appear  and  all 
sadness  was  banished.  His  mother  had  brought  him 
up  to  revere  the  Emperor.  His  father,  the  King, 
gave  him  new  toys  every  day,  choosing  those  he 
thought  most  attractive.  The  boy  preferred  those 
he  received  from  his  uncle,  and  when  his  father  said, 
"  But  just  see.  Napoleon,  those  are  ugly ;  mine  are 
prettier."  "  No,"  said  the  young  Prince,  "  those  are 
very  pretty,  my  uncle  gave  them  to  me."  One  morn- 
ing on  his  way  to  see  the  Emperor,  he  passed  through 
a  drawing-room  where  happened  to  be  among  others, 
Murat,  then  Grand  Duke  of  Berg.  The  young  Napo- 
leon walked  straight  ahead  without  paying  attention 
to  any  one,  and  when  Murat  stopped  him  and  said, 
"  Don't  you  mean  to  say  good-morning  to  me  ?  "  the 
child  replied,  "No;  not  before  my  uncle  the  Em- 
peror." Who  knows  ?  if  this  little  Prince  had  lived 
the  Emperor  might  have  desired  no  other  heir,  and 
perhaps  the  divorce  would  never  have  taken  place. 

This  boy  was  his  mother's  hope  and  pride,  her  joy 
and  consolation.  His  father,  too,  loved  him  much. 
He  was  a  light  in  the  darkness,  a  rainbow  after 
the  storm.  Sometimes  when  his  parents  were  quar- 
relling he  succeeded  in  reconciling  them.  He  used 
to  take  his  father  by  the  hand,  who  gladly  let  himself 
be  led  by  this  little  angel,  and  then  he  would  say  in 
a  caressing  tone:  "Kiss  her,  papa,  I  beg  of  you"; 
then  he  was  perfectly  happy  when  his  father  and 
mother  exchanged  a  kiss  of  peace. 

The  little  Prince  had  a  sudden  attack  of  croup  in 


264       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

the  night  of  May  4,  1807.  He  was  thought  to  be 
lost,  but  in  the  morning  he  was  a  little  better,  and 
the  physicians  had  some  hope  of  saving  him.  The 
improvement  lasted  but  a  few  minutes.  In  the 
course  of  the  day  he  was  given  some  English  pow- 
ders, which  lent  him  a  feverish  strength,  so  that  at 
six  in  the  evening  he  asked  for  some  cards  and 
pictures  to  play  with,  but  the  fever  only  gave  way 
to  his  death  agony.  Towards  ten  in  the  evening  the 
child  drew  his  last  breath. 

No  words  can  describe  the  unhappy  Queen's  de- 
spair ;  she  became  stony  with  grief,  and  fears  were 
felt  for  her  reason.  Josephine's  grief  was  boundless. 
She  did  not  dare  to  leave  the  Empire  without  the 
Emperor's  authorization,  and  so  did  not  go  to  The 
Hague,  but  went  in  all  haste  to  the  Castle  of  Laeken, 
near  Brussels,  whence  she  wrote  to  Hortense  in  the 
evening  of  May  14 :  "I  have  just  reached  the  Castle 
of  Laeken,  my  dear  daughter,  and  await  you  here. 
Come  and  give  me  life ;  your  presence  is  necessary 
for  me,  and  you  must  have  need  of  seeing  me  and  of 
weeping  with  your  mother.  I  should  have  liked  to 
go  further,  but  I  was  too  weak,  and  besides  I  had  not 
time  to  send  word  to  the  Emperor.  I  have  summoned 
courage  to  come  thus  far ;  I  hope  that  you  will  have 
enough  to  come  to  your  mother.  Good  by,  my  dear 
daughter.  I  am  worn  out  with  fatigue  and  especially 
with  grief."  In  the  evening  of  May  15,  Hortense  ar- 
rived at  the  Castle  of  Laeken,  accompanied  by  her  hus- 
band and  her  sole  surviving  son.    She  was  motionless, 


DEATH  OF  THE  YOUNG  NAPOLEON.         265 

apathetic,  the  figure  of  despair.  M.  de  Rdmusat,  who 
was  with  the  Empress,  wrote  the  next  day  to  his  wife : 
"  The  Queen  has  but  one  thought,  the  loss  she  has  suf' 
fered ;  she  speaks  of  only  one  thing,  of  him.  Not  a 
tear,  but  a  cold  calm,  an  almost  absolute  silence  about 
everything,  and  when  she  speaks  she  wrings  every 
one's  heart.  If  she  sees  any  one  whom  she  has  ever 
seen  with  her  son,  she  looks  at  him  with  kindliness 
and  interest,  and  says,  'You  know  he  is  dead.' 
When  she  first  saw  her  mother,  she  said  to  her: 
'It's  not  long  since  he  was  here  with  me.  I  held 
him  on  my  knees  thus.'  Seeing  me  a  few  minutes 
later,  she  made  a  sign  for  me  to  come  forward.  '  Do 
you  remember  Mayence  ?  He  acted  with  us.'  She 
heard  ten  o'clock  strike;  she  turned  to  one  of  the 
ladies  and  said,  'You  know  it  was  at  ten  that  he 
died.'  That  is  the  only  way  she  breaks  her  almost 
continual  silence.  With  all  that,  she  is  kind,  sensi- 
ble, perfectly  reasonable ;  she  thoroughly  understands 
her  condition,  and  even  speaks  of  it.  She  says  she 
is  glad  that  she  has  fallen  into  this  numb  state, 
otherwise  her  sufferings  would  have  been  too  intense. 
Some  one  asked  her  if  she  was  much  moved  when 
she  saw  her  mother :  '  No,'  she  answered ;  '  but  I  am 
very  glad  to  have  seen  her.'  Mention  was  made  of 
Josephine's  surprise  at  her  lack  of  emotion  on  seeing 
her;  'Oh,  Heavens!'  she  said,  'she  must  not  mind 
it ;  that's  the  way  I  am.'  To  anything  that  is  asked 
her  on  any  other  subject,  she  says,  '  It's  all  the  same 
to  me  J  do  as  you  please.' " 


266       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRES8  JOSEPHINE, 

A  messenger  had  been  sent  to  carry  the  news  to 
the  Emperor,  who  was  much  affected  by  hearing  it. 
He  wrote  to  Josephine,  May  14 :  "I  can  well  imagine 
the  grief  which  Napoleon's  death  must  cause.  You 
can  understand  what  I  suffer.  I  should  like  to  be 
with  you,  that  you  might  be  moderate  and  discreet  in 
your  grief.  You  were  happy  enough  never  to  lose  a 
child,  but  that  is  one  of  the  conditions  and  penalties 
attached  to  our  human  misery.  Let  me  hear  that 
you  are  calm  and  well  I  Do  you  want  to  add  to  my 
regret?     Good  by,  my  dear." 

May  17  an  imposing  ceremony  took  place  in  Paris 
— the  carrying  of  the  sword  of  Frederick  the  Great  to 
the  Tuileries.  A  triumphal  chariot,  richly  decorated, 
carried  the  one  hundi-ed  and  eighty  flags  captured  in 
the  last  campaign.  Marshal  Moncey,  on  horseback, 
held  the  hero's  sword.  The  chariot  proceeded  to  this 
iron  gate  of  the  Invalides,  which  it  was  too  lofty  to 
pass  under.  Then  the  veterans  came  to  take  the  flags 
and  to  carry  them  into  the  church.  The  ceremony 
began  with  a  song  of  triumph.  Marshal  S^rurier, 
Governor  of  the  Invalides,  spoke :  "  We  are  here,"  he 
said,  "  to  the  number  of  more  than  nine  hundred  of 
those  who  fought  against  the  great  king  whose  war- 
like spoils  our  children  have  just  won.  At  that  time 
fortune  did  not  always  smile  upon  our  valor.  The 
fathers  were  no  less  brave  than  their  sons,  but  they 
had  not  the  same  leader.  Yet  we  can  only  recall  with 
pride  the  words  of  that  great  man :  *  If  I  were  at  the 
head  of  the  French  people,  not  a  cannon  would  be 


DEATH  OF  THE   YOUNG  NAPOLEON.  267 

fired  in  Europe  without  my  permission '  —  honorable 
proof  of  his  esteem  for  the  soldiers  who  were  fighting 
him.  But  it  was  in  the  reign  of  a  sovereign  even 
greater  by  his  genius,  his  feats,  his  moderation,  that 
the  French  people  was  to  rise  to  such  a  height  of 
power  and  glory.  We  swear  faithfully  to  guard  the 
treasure  which  his  Imperial  and  Royal  Majesty  has 
entrusted  to  us."  Then  the  old  church  echoed  with 
cries  of  "  We  swear  it  I " 

At  this  ceremony,  the  eloquent  President  of  the 
Legislative  Body,  M.  de  Fontanes,  made  a  fine  speech 
full  of  enthusiasm  for  Napoleon,  but  respectful  to  the 
memory  of  the  great  Frederick  and  to  the  misfortunes 
of  his  successor.     He  closed  with  a  few  words  on  the 
grief  that  the  death  of  the  Crown  Prince  must  have 
caused  the  Emperor :  "  Perhaps,  at  this  moment,"  he 
said,  "  the  hero  who  has  saved  us  is  weeping  in  his 
tent  at  the  head  of  three  hundred  thousand  victorious 
French,  and  of  all  the  confederate  kings  and  princes 
who  march  under  his  banner.     He  weeps,  and  neither 
the  trophies  heaped  about  him,  nor  the  glory  of  the 
twenty  sceptres  he  holds  so  firmly,  which  even  Char- 
lemagne failed  to  grasp,  can   distract   his  thoughts 
from  the  coffin  of  that  boy,  whose  first  steps  he  aided 
with  his  triumphant  hands,  whose  promising  intelli- 
gence he  hoped  one  day  to  guide.     Let  him  not  for- 
get  that  his    domestic  woes  have  been  felt  like  a 
public  calamity,  and  may  a  tender  expression  of  the 
national  interest  bring  him  some  slight  consolation. 
All  our  alarm  for  the  future  is  a  more  ardent  expres- 


268        COUBT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE, 

sioii  of  our  homage.  May  fortune  be  satisfied  with 
this  one  victim,  and  while  she  always  favors  the  plans 
of  the  greatest  of  monarchs,  may  she  not  make  him 
pay  for  his  glory  by  similar  misfortunes  !  " 

Doubtless  the  death  of  this  young  child  altered 
the  face  of  things.  If  he  had  lived,  it  would  have 
been  for  him,  and  not  his  brother,  to  bear  the  name 
of  Napoleon  III.,  or  possibly  even  of  Napoleon  II., 
and  apparently  the  destiny  of  the  world  would  have 
been  very  different.  Kingdoms  and  empires,  on  what 
does  their  fate  depend!  May  5  was  to  be  a  fatal 
date ;  the  young  Prince  died  May  5, 1807,  and  four- 
teen years  later  to  a  day  his  uncle  was  to  die  on  the 
rock  of  Saint  Helena. 


XXIII. 

THE  END  OF  THE  WAR. 

THE  Empress  brought  her  daughter  Hortense 
and  her  grandson  Napoleon  Louis,  a  boy  a  little 
over  two,  back  to  Paris  with  her,  but  she  had  not 
long  the  consolation  of  their  presence ;  before  the  end 
of  May  Hortense  was  obliged  to  leave  for  Cauterets 
to  repair  her  shattered  health.  Her  mother  wrote  to 
her  from  Saint  Cloud,  May  27 :  "I  have  wept  much 
since  your  departure ;  this  separation  is  very  painful 
for  me,  and  the  only  thing  that  could  enable  me  to 
bear  it  would  be  the  certainty  that  you  are  getting 
some  good  from  your  trip.  I  have  heard  of  you  from 
Madame  de  Broc.  I  beg  of  you  to  thank  her  for  this 
attention  and  to  ask  her  to  write  to  me  when  you  are 
unable.  I  heard  news,  too,  of  your  son;  he  is  at 
Laeken,  very  well,  and  awaits  the  King's  arrival. 
The  Emperor  has  written  to  me  again ;  he  shares  our 
sorrow.  I  needed  this  consolation,  the  only  one  I 
have  received  since  your  departure.  I  am  always 
alone,  every  moment  recalls  our  loss,  my  tears  never 
cease  flowing.  Good  by,  my  dear  daughter,  take  care 
of  yourself  for  your  mother's  sake,  who  loves  you 
most  tenderly." 


270       COURf  OF  THE  EMPR:eS8  JOSEPHINE. 

Napoleon,  who  forbade  his  wife  and  daughter-in- 
law  to  be  gloomy,  —  an  order  more  easily  given  than 
obeyed, — thought  their  mourning  excessive.  His 
expressions  of  sympathy  were  very  singular.  He 
wrote  from  Finkenstein  to  Queen  Hortense,  May 
20,  1807 :  — 

"My  Daughter:  Everything  I  hear  from  The 
Hague  tells  me  you  are  not  reasonable.  However  legit- 
imate your  grief,  it  should  have  some  bounds.  Do  not 
ruin  your  health ;  seek  some  distractions,  and  remem- 
ber that  life  is  so  full  of  dangers  and  evils  that  death 
is  not  the  worst  thing  that  can  befall  one."  In  his 
letter  of  May  24  to  the  Empress,  the  Emperor  spoke 
of  the  unhappy  Queen  with  a  severity  that  amounted 
to  brutality:  "  Hortense  is  unreasonable  and  does  not 
deserve  to  be  loved  since  she  does  not  love  any  one 
but  her  children.  Try  to  calm  her  and  do  not  make 
trouble  for  me.  For  every  hopeless  evil,  consolation 
must  be  found."  He  wrote  to  her  again.  May  26: 
"  I  have  your  letter  of  the  16th.  I  am  glad  Hortense 
has  gone  to  Laeken.  I  am  sorry  to  hear  what  you 
say  about  the  sort  of  stupor  she  is  in.  She  might 
show  courage  and  self-control.  I  can't  understand 
why  she  should  be  sent  to  the  baths ;  she  could  find 
more  distractions  in  Paris.  Control  yourself;  be 
cheerful,  and  keep  well.  My  heaith  is  excellent. 
Good  by.  I  share  your  sufferings,  and  am  sorry  not 
to  be  with  you." 

In  her  bitter  grief  Hortense  lacked  courage  to 
write   to   the   Emperor,  who   was   annoyed  by  her 


THE  END   OF  THE   WAB.  271 

silence.  "  My  dear,"  he  wrote  to  Josephine,  June  2, 
"  I  hear  that  you  have  arrived  at  Malmaison.  I  have 
no  letters  from  you.  I  am  vexed  with  Hortense ;  she 
has  not  written  me  a  word.  All  you  tell  me  ahout 
her  distresses  me.  Why  could  you  not  distract  her  a 
little?  You  are  always  in  tears  I  I  hope  you  will 
show  some  self-control,  that  I  may  not  find  you  sad. 
I  have  been  for  two  days  at  Dantzic ;  the  weather  is 
fine ;  I  am  well.  I  think  of  you  more  than  you  think 
of  an  absent  man.  Good  by ;  much  love.  Forward 
to  Hortense  this  letter."  This  is  the  severe  epistle 
which  Josephine  was  bidden  to  send  to  Hortense  :  — 

"  June  2.  My  Daughter  :  You  have  not  written 
me  a  word  in  your  great  and  natural  grief.  You  have 
forgotten  everything,  as  if  you  had  not  still  losses  to 
endure.  I  hear  that  you  love  nothing,  are  indifferent 
to  everything ;  this  is  plain  from  your  silence.  That 
is  not  right,  Hortense.  It  is  not  what  you  promised 
us.  Your  son  was  everything  for  you?  Are  your 
mother  and  I  nothing  ?  Had  I  been  at  Malmaison  I 
should  have  shared  your  sorrow,  but  I  should  have 
wanted  you  to  listen  to  your  best  friends.  Good  by, 
my  daughter;  be  cheerful;  you  must  be  resigned. 
My  wife  is  much  distressed  at  your  condition ;  do  not 
give  her  further  pain.     Your  affectionate  father." 

It  is  easily  seen  that  such  letters  were  ill  adapted  to 
allay  the  anguish  of  an  inconsolable  mother  mourning 
for  her  child. 

Josephine's  letters  to  her  daughter  showed  very 
different  feelings.     The  kind  Empress  did  her  best 


272       COURT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

to  persuade  her  that  the  Emperor  sympathized  with 
her  grief.  She  wrote  from  Saint  Cloud,  June  4 ;  "  Your 
letter,  my  dear  Hortense,  gives  me  much  consolation, 
and  what  I  hear  from  your  ladies  about  your  health 
makes  me  easier.  The  Emperor  was  much  distressed ; 
in  every  letter  he  tries  to  give  me  courage,  but  I  know 
that  this  unhappy  event  was  a  great  blow  to  him. 
The  King  arrived  at  Saint  Leu  last  evening ;  he  has 
sent  me  word  that  he  meant  to  call  on  me  to-day, 
and  he  must  leave  the  boy  here  during  his  absence. 
You  know  how  much  I  love  the  child,  and  how  care- 
ful I  shall  be  of  him.  I  want  the  King  to  take  the 
same  route  as  you ;  it  will  be  a  consolation  for  you 
both  to  meet.  All  his  letters  since  you  left  are  full 
of  love  for  you.  He  has  too  tender  a  heart  not  to  be 
touched.  Good  by,  my  dear  daughter ;  take  care  of 
your  health;  mine  will  improve  only  when  I  don't 
have  to  suffer  for  those  I  love."  This  letter  shows 
all  the  kindness  and  gentleness  of  Josephine's  char- 
acter. She  was  conciliating  and  benevolent,  and  did 
her  best  to  smooth  over  Napoleon's  blame  and  to  rec- 
oncile Hortense  Avith  her  husband.  She  wrote  again 
from  Saint  Cloud,  June  11 :  "  Your  boy  is  very  well, 
and  amuses  me  a  great  deal ;  he  is  so  gentle ;  I  think 
he  has  all  the  ways  of  the  poor  boy  we  mourn." 
Josephine  understood  consolation  better  than  the 
Emperor. 

What  could  be  more  touching,  more  maternal,  than 
this  letter  from  the  Empress  ?  "  Your  letter  moved 
me  deeply ;  I  see  your  grief  is  ever  fresh  and  I  per- 


THE  END  OF  THE  WAR.  273 

ceive  this  better  by  my  own  sufferings.  We  have 
lost  what  was  most  worthy  to  be  loved;  my  tears 
flow  as  they  did  the  first  day.  Those  regrets  are  too 
natural  to  be  repressed  by  reason,  although  it  should 
moderate  them.  You  are  not  alone  in  the  world. 
You  have  left  a  husband,  an  interesting  child,  and 
you  are  too  tender  for  that  to  be  strange  and  indiffer- 
ent to  you.  Think  of  us,  my  dear  daughter,  and  let 
this  calm  your  natural  sorrow.  I  rely  on  your  love 
for  me  and  on  your  reasonableness.  I  hope  that  the 
trip  and  the  waters  will  do  you  good.  Your  son  is 
very  well,  and  is  charming.  My  health  is  a  little 
better,  but  you  know  it  depends  on  yours.  Good 
by.     Many  kisses.'* 

The  character  of  this  loving  mother  and  grand- 
mother manifests  itself  in  every  one  of  her  letters. 
Her  style  was  simple  and  affectionate,  like  herself. 
Her  letters,  full  of  the  gentlest,  best,  and  most  touch- 
ing feeling,  might  make  one  say,  "  The  style  is  the 
woman." 

While  Josephine  and  Hortense  were  weeping.  Na- 
poleon was  bringing  a  terrible  campaign  to  a  brilliant 
end.  June  15  he  thus  announced  to  his  wife  the 
great  victory  of  Friedland :  "  My  dear :  I  write  but 
a  word,  for  I  am  very  tired ;  I  have  been  bivouacking 
for  several  days.  My  children  have  been  worthily 
celebrating  the  battle  of  Marengo.  The  battle  of 
Friedland  will  be  quite  as  famous  and  glorious  for 
my  people.  The  whole  Russian  army  routed ;  eighty 
cannon;    thirty  thousand  men  captured  or  killed; 


274       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

twenty-five  Russian  generals  killed,  wounded,  or  cap- 
tured ;  the  Russian  Guard  wiped  out ;  it  is  a  worthy 
sister  of  Marengo,  Austerlitz,  Jena.  The  bulletin 
will  tell  you  the  rest.  My  losses  are  not  serious ;  I 
succeeded  in  outmanoeuvring  the  enemy.  Be  calm 
and  contented.  Good  by,  my  dear,  my  horse  is  wait- 
ing.'* The  next  day  he  wrote  another  letter  to  Jo- 
sephine :  "  My  dear,  yesterday  I  sent  Moustache  to 
you  with  news  of  the  battle  of  Friedland.  Since  then 
I  have  continued  to  pursue  the  enemy.  Konigsberg, 
a  city  of  eighty  thousand  inhabitants,  is  in  my  power. 
I  have  found  there  many  cannon,  stores,  and  finally 
sixty  thousand  muskets  just  come  from  England. 
Good  by,  my  dear,  my  health  is  perfect,  although  I 
have  a  cold  from  the  rain  and  cold  of  the  bivouac. 
Be  cheerful  and  contented.  Ever  yours."  From 
Tilsitt  Napoleon  wrote  to  his  wife,  June  19 :  "I  have 
sent  Tascher  to  you  to  allay  your  anxiety.  Every- 
thing goes  on  admirably  here.  The  battle  of  Fried- 
land  decided  everything.  The  enemy  is  confounded, 
cast  down,  and  extremely  enfeebled.  My  health  is 
excellent,  my  army  superb.  Good  by;  be  cheerful 
and  contented."  Be  cheerful  and  contented  —  he 
was  always  saying  it. 

June  25,  at  one  in  the  afternoon,  a  great  sight  was 
to  be  seen  in  the  middle  of  the  Niemen.  A  raft  had 
been  placed  midstream  in  plain  view  from  both  banks 
of  the  river.  All  the  rich  stuffs  that  could  be  found 
in  the  little  town  of  Tilsitt  had  been  taken  to  make 
a  pavilion  on  a  part  of  this  raft  for  the  reception  of 


THE  END  OF  THE  WAR.  275 

the  Emperors  of  France  and  Russia.  From  one 
bank  Napoleon  embarked  with  Murat,  Berthier,  Bes- 
si^res,  Duroc,  and  Caulaincourt ;  and  from  the  other, 
Alexander,  with  the  Grand  Duke  Constantine,  Gen- 
erals Bennigsen  and  Ouvaroff,  the  Prince  of  Labanoff, 
and  the  Count  of  Lieven.  The  two  armies  were 
drawn  up  on  the  two  banks,  and  the  country  people 
of  the  neighborhood  were  present  to  watch  one  of 
the  most  memorable  interviews  known  to  history. 
When  they  reached  the  raft,  the  two  sovereigns,  who 
had  just  been  fighting  so  bitterly,  and  had  sent  so 
many  thousand  men  to  death,  fell  into  each  other's 
arms  with  emotion.  The  same  day  Napoleon  wrote 
to  Josephine :  "  I  have  just  seen  the  Emperor  Alex- 
ander, and  am  much  pleased  with  him ;  he  is  a  very 
fine-looking,  good  young  Emperor ;  he  has  more  in- 
telligence than  is  generally  supposed.  He  is  going 
to  move  into  Tilsitt  to-morrow.  Good  by ;  keep  well 
and  be  contented.  My  health  is  excellent."  The 
two  monarchs  became  very  intimate.  "My  dear," 
Napoleon  wrote  to  his  wife  July  3,  "  M.  de  Turenne 
will  give  you  all  the  details  about  what  is  going  on 
here ;  everything  is  moving  smoothly.  I  think  I  told 
you  that  the  Emperor  of  Russia  drank  to  your  health ' 
with  great  kindness.  He  and  the  King  of  Prussia 
dine  with  me  every  day.  I  want  you  to  be  contented. 
Good  by;  much  love."  And  July  6 :  "I  have  yours 
of  June  25.  I  am  sorry  you  are  so  egoistic,  and  that 
my  success  gives  you  no  pleasure.  The  beautiful 
Queen  of  Prussia  is  to  dine  with  me  to-day.    I  am 


276       COUBT  OF  THE  E3f PRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

well  and  anxious  to  see  you  again  when  fate  permits. 
Still  it  will  probably  be  soon." 

The  Queen  of  Prussia  was  one  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful and  most  brilliant  women  of  her  time.  An  hour 
after  her  arrival  at  Tilsitt,  Napoleon  called  on  her, 
and  thai  evening,  when  she  came  to  dine  with  him, 
he  went  to  the  door  of  the  house  in  which  he  lived  to 
receive  her  with  all  respect.  But  in  spite  of  all  her 
efforts  to  modify  the  conditions  of  the  peace  imposed 
on  Prussia,  her  gracious  and  obstinate  endeavors  were 
fruitless.  Napoleon,  July  7,  thus  described  to  Joseph- 
ine the  dinner  of  the  evening  before  to  the  charm- 
ing Queen :  "  My  dear,  the  Queen  of  Prussia  dined 
with  me  yesterday.  I  was  obliged  to  refuse  her  some 
concessions  she  wanted  me  to  make  to  her  husband ; 
but  I  was  polite,  and  also  kept  to  my  plan.  She  is 
very  amiable.  When  I  see  you  I  will  give  you  all 
the  details  which  would  be  too  long  to  write  now. 
When  you  read  this  letter,  peace  will  have  been  con- 
cluded with  Russia  and  Prussia,  and  Jerome  will  have 
been  recognized  as  King  of  Westphalia  with  a  popu- 
lation of  three  millions.  This  piece  of  news  is  for 
you  alone.  Good  by,  my  dear ;  I  want  to  hear  that 
you  are  contented  and  cheerful."  The  story  runs 
that  the  Queen  of  Prussia,  who  held  a  beautiful  rose 
in  her  hand,  offered  it  to  Napoleon,  saying  with  a 
gracious  smile :  "  Take  it,  Sire,  but  in  exchange  for 
Magdeburg."  The  hero  of  Jena  made  a  mistake 
not  to  make  the  exchange.  He  did  too  much  or  too 
little  for  the  Prussian  monarchy.     Since  he   could 


THE  END  OF  THE  WAR.  277 

not  or  would  not  wipe  it  out,  lie  ought  to  have  let  it 
live,  and  become  a  friendly  power.  Who  can  tell  ? 
Perhaps  his  acceptance  of  the  rose  would  have  warded 
off  many  acts  of  vengeance,  many  disasters.  On  such 
slight  things  does  the  world's  destiny  depend  I 

Josephine  wrote  to  her  daughter  from  Saint  Cloud, 
July  10 :  "I  often  hear  from  the  Emperor,  who  speaks 
a  great  deal  about  the  Emperor  Alexander,  with  whom 
he  seems  well  satisfied.  He  sent  M.  de  Monaco  and 
M.  de  Montesquiou  to  give  me  details  of  all  they 
had  seen.  They  say  the  first  view  was  a  magnificent 
sight.  The  two  armies  were  on  the  two  banks  of  the 
Niemen.  The  Emperor  was  the  first  to  arrive  at  a 
raft  built  in  the  middle  of  the  river;  the  Emperor 
Alexander's  boat  found  some  difficulty  in  approaching, 
which  gave  him  a  chance  to  speak  of  his  eagerness 
thwarted  by  the  stream.  They  tell  me  that  when  the 
two  Emperors  kissed,  wide-spread  applause  arose  from 
both  banks.  What  most  interests  me  in  all  this  good 
news  is  my  hope  of  soon  seeing  the  Emperor  again. 
Why  is  this  happiness  troubled  by  sad  memories  that 
can  never  be  destroyed  ?  Your  boy  is  perfectly  well ; 
his  complexion  has  entirely  changed.  I  hope  the 
waters  will  do  both  you  and  the  King  good ;  remem- 
ber me  to  him,  and  believe  in  my  constant  love." 

Before  leaving  Tilsitt,  where  he  had  signed  a  glo- 
rious peace.  Napoleon  had  the  bravest  soldier  of  the 
Russian  Guard  presented  to  him,  and  he  gave  him 
the  eagle  of  the  Legion  of  Honor.  He  gave  his  por- 
trait to  Platou,  the  hetman  of  the  Cossacks,  and  some 


278       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

Baschirs  gave  hiin  a  concert  after  the  custom  of  their 
country.  July  9,  at  eleven  in  the  morning,  wearing 
the  grand  cordon  of  Saint  Andrew,  he  called  on  the 
Emperor  Alexander,  who  wore  the  broad  ribbon  of  the 
Legion  of  Honor.  The  two  sovereigns  passed  three 
hours  together,  then  mounted  their  horses,  and  rode 
towards  the  Niemen.  Then  they  got  down  and  em- 
braced for  the  last  time.  The  Czar  then  embarked, 
and  Napoleon  waited  on  the  river-bank  until  his  new 
friend  had  landed  on  the  other  shore.  He  returned 
to  Konigsberg  and  from  there  to  Dresden,  whence  he 
wrote  to  Josephine,  July  18 :  "  My  dear,  I  reached 
here  j^esterday  afternoon  at  five,  very  well,  though  I 
had  been  posting  one  hundred  hours  without  stopping. 
I  am  staying  with  the  King  of  Saxony,  whom  I  like 
very  much.  I  have  more  than  half  my  journey  to 
you  behind  me.  I  warn  you  that  I  may  burst  in  on 
you  at  Saint  Cloud  one  of  these  nights,  like  a  jealous 
husband.  Good  by,  my  dear ;  I  shall  be  very  glad  to 
see  you  again.  Ever  yours."  Napoleon  spoke  of 
jealousy.  The  days  of  the  first  Italian  campaign 
were  very  distant.  Everything  had  changed.  It  was 
no  longer  he  who  had  to  be  jealous  of  Josephine  :  it 
was  Josephine  who  was  jealous  of  him,  and  with  good 
reason.  After  an  absence  of  nearly  a  year,  the 
Emperor  reached  Saint  Cloud,  July  2T,  1807,  at  six 
o'clock  in  the  morning. 


XXIV, 

THE  BMPEBOR's  EETURN". 

JULY  28, 1807,  the  Emperor,  who  had  arrived  at 
Saint  Cloud  the  day  before,  received  the  great 
bodies  of  the  State.  It  would  be  hard  to  form  an 
exact  idea  of  the  flatteries  addressed  to  him.  Let  us 
quote  a  few  taken  at  random.  M.  Siguier,  First 
President  of  the  Court  of  Appeal,  said  to  the  hero 
of  Friedland :  "  Napoleon  is  above  admiration  ;  only- 
love  can  rise  to  him."  The  Cardinal  Archbishop  of 
Paris,  speaking  in  the  name  of  his  clergy,  was  perhaps 
even  more  enthusiastic:  "The  God  of  armies,"  he 
said,  "  has  dictated  and  directed  all  your  plans ;  noth- 
ing could  resist  the  swiftness  of  so  many  wonders.  .  .  . 
Have  confidence.  Sire,  in  our  zeal,  and  instruct  the 
people  in  the  submission  and  obedience  they  owe  to 
all  of  Your  Majesty's  decrees  and  orders."  But  it 
was  Councillor  of  State  Trochot,  Prefect  of  the  Seine, 
who  deserves  the  prize  in  this  competition  of  adula- 
tion. Here  is  a  fragment  of  his  speech :  "  Sire,  now 
that  at  last  Paris  receives  you  once  more  after  so  long 
an  absence  and  such  prodigious  feats,  it  would  gladly 
express  to  you  all  its  intense  admiration,  and  yet  it 

279 


280       COUBT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

can  only  speak  to  you  of  its  love.  And,  indeed,  if  it 
tried  to  contemplate  in  you  the  conqueror  of  so  many 
kings,  the  law-maker  of  so  many  peoples,  the  con- 
troller of  so  many  events,  the  arbiter  of  so  many  des- 
tinies, how  could  it  dare  to  approach  Your  Majesty, 
and  in  what  language  could  it  address  you  ?  Should 
it  speak  to  you  of  triumphs  ?  But  can  any  one  but  a 
Caesar  himself  speak  of  what  Csesar  has  done  ?  Of 
glory?  but  for  ten  years  it  has  been  impossible  to 
speak  of  all  you  have  won.  Of  genius?  but  who  can 
speak  of  all  the  marvels  yours  has  wrought,  before 
which  we  are  dumb  and  confounded.  Sire,  all  these 
things  are  beyond  us,  and  since  they  command  admi- 
ration, even  silence,  the  silence  of  astonishment  which 
admiration  imposes  seems  to  be  our  sole  manner  of 
expressing  it.'*  More  had  not  been  said  to  Louis 
XIV.,  the  Sun  King. 

In  allusion  to  the  illuminations  in  Paris  the  even- 
ing before,  the  Prefect  of  the  Seine  added:  "Why 
could  not  you.  Sire,  have  been  an  eye-witness  of  the 
joy  which  the  announcement  of  Your  Majesty's  re- 
turn spread  yesterday  throughout  the  capital  of  your 
Empire!  Why  could  not  you  have  heard  the 
applause  with  which  your  faithful  subjects  rent  the 
welkin  during  the  festivity  which  they  gave  on  this 
occasion  until  well  into  the  night  I"  The  Prefect 
closed  by  a  prophecy,  alas  I  not  too  accurate :  "  The 
august  Emperor  Napoleon  will  render  war  between 
nations  impossible,  and  the  world's  happiness  will 
date  from  his  reign." 


TBE  EMPEBOB'8  BETUBN,  281 

The  hero  of  Austerlitz,  of  Jena,  of  Friedland,  then 
thought  nothing  impossible.  His  direct  or  indirect 
sway  extended  from  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar  to  the 
Vistula,  from  the  mountains  of  Bohemia  to  the 
North  Sea.  Charlemagne  was  outstripped.  Joseph- 
ine saw  her  husband  again  with  joy,  but  also  with 
anxiety  and  terror.  He  returned  so  infatuated  by 
his  wonderful  fortune,  he  was  so  flattered  and  deified 
by  his  courtiers,  in  his  whole  Imperial  and  royal  per- 
son there  was  something  so  formidable  and  majestic, 
that  his  gentle  and  timid  wife  was,  as  it  were,  dazzled 
by  the  rays  of  a  sun,  too  brilliant  for  her  to  look  at. 

Josephine  had  now  become  afraid  to  address  him  as 
thou,  and  to  call  him  simply  Bonaparte  as  she  had 
done  before.  When  she  spoke  to  him,  she  often 
called  him  Sire.  She  did  not  dare  to  reproach  him 
with  his  infidelities  at  Warsaw  or  the  Castle  of 
Finkenstein,  or  to  show  that  she  noticed  his  atten- 
tions to  many  ladies  of  the  court,  notably  to  a  beau- 
tiful Italian  woman,  a  friend  of  Talleyrand's,  who  was 
one  of  her  readers  and  a  prominent  object  of  Napo- 
leon's attentions.  She  saw  rising  before  her  the 
vision  of  divorce,  the  phantom  which  had  haunted 
her  imagination  since  the  expedition  to  Egypt.  Fear- 
ful of  giving  her  husband  the  slightest  pretext  for 
discontent  or  annoyance,  she  was  humbler,  more  sub- 
missive, more  obedient  than  ever. 

So  long  as  the  oldest  son  of  Louis  and  Hortense 
had  lived,  Josephine  felt  comparatively  secure,  be- 
cause she  knew  that  this  boy,  a  special  favorite  of 


282       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

Napoleon's,  was  intended  by  his  uncle  to  be  the  heir 
of  his  Empire.  But  his  surviving  brother,  the  little 
Napoleon  Louis,  born  October  11, 1804,  did  not  give 
the  Empress  the  same  confidence.  The  Emperor  was 
less  intimate  with  this  child ;  he  had  not  played  with 
him  as  he  had  done  with  the  other;  he  had  not 
become  attached  to  him.  The  little  Napoleon  Louis 
was  staying  with  Josephine  when  the  Emperor  re- 
turned.    She  did  all  she  could  to  make  him  love  him. 

Moreover,  it  was  not  an  easy  thing  to  hold  the 
affections  of  a  man  like  Napoleon.  Six  years  younger 
than  his  wife,  he  was  but  thirty-eight,  and  in  all  the 
flower  and  prime  of  his  Caesar-like  beauty.  He  liked 
to  make  a  conquest  of  beauties  as  well  as  of  prov- 
inces. The  thought  of  resistance  exasperated  him. 
In  everything  he  demanded  success,  triumph,  domin- 
ion. The  celebration  of  his  birthday,  August  15, 
1807,  which  was  accompanied  with  unusual  pomp  and 
splendor,  was  of  the  nature  of  a  deification.  He 
made  Josephine  share  his  triumph,  and  held  her  by 
the  hand  when  he  appeared  on  a  balcony  of  the 
Tuileries,  in  the  enclosure,  amid  the  applause  of  the 
multitude  assembled  in  the  gardens. 

King  Jerome's  marriage  with  the  young  Princess 
Catherine  of  Wiirtemberg  added  to  the  animation  of 
the  already  brilliant  court.  The  annulment  of  the 
young  Prince's  marriage  with  Miss  Paterson  had 
caused  Napoleon  much  difiiculty.  When  this  mar- 
riage had  been  contracted  at  Baltimore,  December  8, 
1803,  he  had  been  only  First  Consul,  and  Jerome,  a 


THE  EMPEROR'S  RETURN.  283 

simple  naval  officer,  was  in  no  way  under  the  control 
of  the  decree  of  the  Senate,  which  was  later  to  de- 
termine the  civil  conditions  of  the  new  Imperial 
family.  But  in  his  haste  to  marry  the  young  and 
beautiful  American  girl,  Jerome,  who  was  but  nine- 
teen years  old,  had  neglected,  in  spite  of  the  advice  of 
the  French  Consul,  to  demand  the  permission  of  his 
mother,  Madame  Letitia  Bonaparte.  This  omission 
had  not  prevented  the  Bishop  of  Baltimore  from  cel- 
ebrating the  marriage.  Napoleon,  however,  regarded 
it  as  null  and  void.  It  was  not  till  February  22, 
1805,  that  he  obtained  his  mother's  protest,  and  the 
21st  of  the  next  March,  by  an  Imperial  decree,  he 
annulled  the  marriage  which  displeased  him,  by  his 
own  authority.  Yet,  in  the  eyes  of  religion,  this 
union  still  existed.  The  Emperor  asked  the  Pope  to 
pronounce  it  null,  but  Pius  VII.  gave  the  request  a 
formal  refusal,  writing  in  June,  1805  :  "  It  is  beyond 
our  power  in  the  present  state  of  things,  to  pronounce 
it  null.  If  we  should  usurp  an  authority  we  do  not 
possess,  we  should  render  ourselves  guilty  of  an  abuse 
abominable  before  the  throne  of  God;  and  Your 
Majesty  himself,  in  his  justice,  would  blame  us  for 
pronouncing  a  sentence  contrary  to  the  testimony  of 
our  conscience,  and  to  the  invariable  principles  of  the 
church.  .  .  .  That  is  why  we  earnestly  hope  that 
Your  Majesty  will  be  convinced  that  the  desire  with 
which  we  are  always  animated  to  second  his  designs, 
so  far  as  depends  on  us,  particularly  in  a  matter  so 
closely  concerning  his  august  person,  has  been  ren- 


284       COUBT  OF  THE  EMPEESS  JOSEPHINE. 

dered  idle  by  the  absolute  absence  of  power,  and  we 
entreat  him  to  receive  this  sincere  declaration  as  tes- 
timony of  our  really  paternal  affection."  This  was 
the  beginning  of  the  quarrel  between  the  Pope  and 
the  Emperor.  Pius  VII.  would  not  yield ;  but  Napo- 
leon found  greater  servility  in  the  metropolitan  offi- 
cialty  of  Paris;  and  October  6,  1806,  he  secured 
a  sentence  pronouncing  the  nullity  of  his  brother 
Jerome's  marriage  with  Miss  Paterson. 

The  King  of  Wiirtemberg,  in  the  hope  that  a  close 
alliance  with  the  Imperial  family  would  strengthen 
his  throne,  and  procure  him  accession  of  land  and 
power,  had  prepared  to  give  to  the  Emperor's  young 
brother  the  hand  of  his  daughter.  Princess  Catherine. 
As  soon  as  the  King  had  formed  this  decision,  he 
would  not  listen  to  a  word  of  criticism  from  his  fam- 
ily, who  were  already  accustomed  never  to  discuss  his 
ideas.  The  King  of  Wiirtemberg  was  a  real  giant. 
He  was  so  stout  that  a  broad,  deep  hollow  had  to  be 
cut  out  of  his  dining-table ;  for  otherwise  he  would 
not  have  been  able  to  reach  his  plate.  He  was  fond 
of  riding,  but  it  was  not  easy  to  find  a  horse  strong 
enough  to  carry  his  enormous  weight.  The  horse 
had  to  be  gradually  accustomed  to  it,  and  to  accom- 
plish this,  the  equerry  who  had  to  prepare  the  royal 
steed  used  to  wear  a  band  full  of  lead,  to  which  he 
would  add  new  pieces  every  day,  until  he  was  as 
heavy  as  the  King.  This  monarch,  who  was  highly 
respected,  though  greatly  feared,  by  his  subjects,  had 
some  eccentricities.      Thus  he   demanded  that  his 


THE  EMPEROR'S  RETURN.  285 

wife  should  be  up  and  fully  dressed  by  seven  in  the 
morning ;  and  insisted  that  at  whatever  hour  of  the 
day  or  evening  it  should  please  him  to  enter  her  apai-t- 
ment,  he  should  find  her  ready  to  accompany  him 
wherever  he  might  want  to  go.  The  Queen,  who 
was  his  second  wife,  —  Princess  Catherine  was  a 
child  by  his  first  marriage,  —  was  a  daughter  of  the 
King  of  England,  and  consequently  she  was  averse 
to  seeing  her  step-daughter  marry  the  brother  of 
England's  greatest  enemy;  but  she  took  good  care 
not  to  make  any  objections.  The  King  of  Wiirtem- 
berg  was  severe  to  his  family  and  to  his  subjects, 
but  he  was  well  educated,  intelligent,  and  energetic. 
Napoleon  set  great  store  by  him,  and  regarded  him  as 
a  loyal  and  faithful  ally. 

Jerome,  who  had  been  made  King  of  Westphalia 
by  the  treaty  of  Tilsitt,  was  the  youngest  of  the 
Emperor's  brothers.  He  was  born  at  Ajaccio,  Novem- 
ber 15, 1784,  and  was  not  yet  twenty-three  when  he 
married  Princess  Catherine  of  Wiirtemberg,  who  was 
nearly  two  years  older  than  he,  having  been  bom 
February  2,  1783.  This  Princess  had  much  charm; 
she  was  tall,  handsome,  her  expression  was  noble  and 
kindly;  she  inspired  every  one  with  sympathy  and 
respect.  She  was  a  woman  remarkable  for  intelli- 
gence, virtue,  and  affection.  She  was  to  be  a  model 
wife  and  mother.  She  it  was  who,  in  1814,  refused 
to  get  a  divorce  and  to  abandon  an  unfortunate  hus- 
band, a  dethroned  king.  She  it  was  who  wrote  to 
her  father  this  admirable  letter,  without  fear  of  his 


286       COURT  OF  THE  EMPBESS    JOSEPHINE, 

anger:  "Having  been  forced  by  reasons  of  state  to 
marry  the  King,  my  husband,  it  has  been  granted  me 
by  fate  to  be  the  happiest  woman  in  the  world.  I 
feel  for  my  husband  love,  tenderness,  esteem,  com- 
bined; at  this  painful  moment  would  the  best  of 
fathers  desire  to  destroy  my  domestic  happiness,  the 
only  sort  left  to  me  ?  I  venture  to  tell  you,  my  dear 
father,  you  and  all  the  family,  that  you  do  not  know 
the  King,  my  husband.  A  time  will  come,  I  hope, 
when  you  will  be  convinced  that  you  have  misjudged 
him  and  then  you  will  always  find  him  and  me  the 
most  respectful  and  most  loving  children."  She  was 
the  courageous  woman,  the  faithful  wife,  the  devoted 
mother,  of  whom  Napoleon  said  at  Saint  Helena: 
"Princess  Catherine  of  Wiirtemberg  has  with  her 
own  hands  written  her  name  in  history." 

Jerome's  marriage  was  an  event  of  great  ceremony. 
It  was  first  celebrated,  by  proxy,  at  Stuttgart,  the 
Princess's  brother  representing  the  bridegroom.  The 
Emperor  sent  presents  to  his  future  sister-in-law, 
among  other  things  a  set  of  diamonds  worth  three 
hundred  thousand  francs.  A  detachment  from  the 
Emperor's  household  and  many  of  the  Empress's 
ladies  of  the  bedchamber  went  to  the  frontiers  to 
meet  the  Princess.  She  reached  the  Castle  of  Raincy, 
August  20,  1807,  and  there  saw  her  betrothed  for 
the  first  time,  and  the  21st,  Napoleon  received  her  at 
the  Tuileries  on  the  first  step  of  the  great  staircase. 
As  she  bowed  before  him,  he  folded  her  in  his  arms, 
then  he  presented  her  to  the  Empress,  before  the 


THE  EMPEBOR'S  RETURN.  28T 

whole  court  and  the  deputies  of  the  new  kingdom 
of  Westphalia,  who  had  heen  summoned  to  Paris  to 
be  present  at  the  marriage  of  their  young  sovereign 
with  a  Princess  belonging  to  one  of  the  oldest  and 
most  illustrious  families  of  Germany. 

Saturday,  August  22,  the  signature  of  the  marriage 
contract  and  the  civil  wedding  took  place  at  the 
Tuileries,  in  the  Gallery  of  Diana,  in  presence  of  the 
Emperor,  the  Empress,  the  ladies  and  officers  of  their 
households  and  the  great  personages  of  the  Empire. 
M.  Regnault  de  Saint-Jean  d'Ang^ly,  Secretary  of 
State  of  the  Imperial  family,  read  the  marriage-con- 
tract, which  was  then  signed  by  the  Emperor,  the 
Empress,  the  young  couple,  the  Princes  and  Prin- 
cesses, the  Prince  Primate  of  the  Confederation  of 
the  Rhine,  the  Prince's  high  dignitaries  of  the 
Empire,  and  the  witnesses  of  the  marriage.  The 
witnesses  were,  for  the  court  of  France:  Prince 
Borghese,  Prince  Murat,  Grand  Duke  of  Berg,  and 
Marshal  Berthier,  Prince  of  Neufchtel ;  for  the  court 
of  Wiirtemberg:  the  Prince  of  Baden;  the  Prince 
of  Nassau;  and  the  Count  of  Winzingerode,  the 
Minister  of  Wiirtemberg.  Prince  Cambacdr^s,  Arch- 
chancellor  of  the  Empire,  then  received  the  consent 
of  the  couple  and  pronounced  the  formula  of  the 
civil  marriage. 

The  next  day,  Sunday,  August  23, 180T,  at  eight 
in  the  evening,  the  religious  marriage  was  celebrated 
in  the  chapel  of  the  Tuileries,  the  galleries  being 
filled  with  the  diplomatic  bodies,  the  foreign  princes 


288       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE, 

and  noblemen  and  invited  guests.  The  procession 
was  brilliant.  On  entering  the  chapel,  Napoleon 
gave  his  hand  to  the  Princess  Catherine,  and  Jerome 
his  to  the  Empress.  The  Prince  Primate  of  the  Con- 
federation of  the  Rhine,  Archbishop  of  Regensburg, 
Sovereign  Prince  of  that  city,  of  Aschaffenburg,  of 
Frankfort,  etc.,  surrounded  by  his  clergy  and  his 
court,  stood  at  the  chapel  door.  He  gave  holy  water 
to  the  Emperor  and  the  Empress,  who  at  once  went 
to  their  praying-chairs ;  then  he  gave  the  nuptial 
blessing  to  the  young  couple,  while  the  canopy  was 
held  by  the  Bishop  of  Ghent  and  the  Abb^  of  Bou- 
logne, the  Emperor's  Almoners.  After  the  ceremony, 
they  all  went  back  from  the  chapel  to  the  grand 
apartments,  where  followed  a  concert,  a  ballet,  and 
a  reception  in  the  Hall  of  the  Marshals.  Twice 
Napoleon  appeared  on  the  balcony,  showing  the  newly 
married  pair  the  vast  throng  filling  the  garden  of  the 
Tuileries.  Unfortunately,  a  sudden  storm  prevented 
the  display  of  fireworks. 

While  the  thunder  was  roaring  and  the  rain  pour- 
ing down,  the  Empress,  at  her  young  brother-in-law's 
marriage,  was  the  prey  to  sad  reflections.  She 
thought  of  the  deserted  American  wife,  who,  far 
away,  was  weeping,  while  her  husband,  the  father  of » 
her  children,  was  joyfully  leading  another  wife  to  the 
altar.  Josephine  doubtless  thought  that  soon  perhaps 
her  lot  would  be  the  same  as  that  of  the  unhappy 
Miss  Paterson;  that  she  would  be  sacrificed,  aban- 
doned, repudiated  in  the  very  same  way. 


THE  EMPEBOR'S  RETURN.  289 

The  Empress  had  another  cause  of  grief.  At  the 
Pyrenees  her  daughter  Hor tense  had  become  recon- 
ciled with  Louis,  and  was  soon  to  be  the  mother  of 
the  child  afterwards  known  as  Napoleon  III.  But  in 
a  few  weeks  the  incongeniality  of  their  dispositions, 
for  a  moment  forgotten  in  their  common  grief,  as- 
serted itself  anew.  On  their  return  to  Paris,  at  the 
end  of  August,  the  discord  between  the  King  and  the 
Queen  of  Holland  was  as  violent  as  ever.  The  King, 
more  uneasy  and  suspicious  than  ever  before,  wanted 
to  carry  his  wife  to  Holland,  but  the  Queen  had  an 
aversion  to  the  country  where  she  had  suffered  so 
much,  and  to  its  fatal  climate.  She  feared  that  if  she 
should  return  there  she  might  lose  her  second  son 
like  the  first.  Her  health  was  wretched ;  she  feared 
that  her  lungs  were  affected.  In  France  she  felt  that 
the  Emperor  protected  her  from  her  husband's  anger. 
Holland  seemed  to  her  a  gloomy,  damp,  melancholy 
prison,  of  which  the  King,  her  husband,  would  be  the 
jailor.  Louis  Bonaparte  was  furious  at  his  wife's  re- 
sistance, all  the  more  that  he  was  obliged  to  hide  his 
feelings.  Napoleon,  who  held  his  family,  like  his 
Empire,  in  absolute  control,  gave  Louis,  as  well  as  his 
other  brothers,  orders  which  they  had  to  obey  without 
a  word  or  a  murmur.  The  King  of  Holland  returned 
to  his  kingdom  alone,  his  wife  stayed  in  France,  but 
in  the  gloomiest  spirits,  with  mind  and  body  disor- 
dered, disenchanted  about  all  human  things.  "  From 
that  time,"  she  said  later,  "  I  understood  that  my  mis- 
fortunes were  beyond  cure ;  I  looked  upon  my  life  as 


290        COUBT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

destroyed;  I  conceived  a  horror  of  grandeur,  of  a 
throne ;  I  often  cursed  what  so  many  called  my  good 
fortune;  I  felt  lost  to  all  enjoyment  of  life,  shorn 
of  all  illusions,  nearly  dead  to  everything  going  on 
about  me."  Under  other  conditions,  the  Empress 
would  have  been  delighted  to  have  her  daughter  with 
her,  but  she  found  her  so  dejected,  so  morose,  and  so 
unhappy,  that  her  presence  was  quite  as  much  a  grief 
as  a  comfort  for  her.  These  were  the  feelings  of  the 
Empress  of  the  French  and  of  the  Queen  of  Holland 
when  they  went  to  Fontainebleau  with  the  court  at 
the  end  of  September,  1807.  There  the  Emperor 
lived  more  splendidly  than  ever,  surrounding  himself 
with  all  the  pomp  and  majesty  of  monarchy. 


XXV. 

THE  COURT  AT  FONTAINEBLEAU. 

THE  court  arrived  at  the  Palace  of  Fontaine- 
bleau  September  21,  1807,  and  stayed  there 
until  November  15.  Napoleon  felt  the  need  of  display- 
ing unprecedented  luxury.  He  wanted  to  have  the 
Diplomatic  Corps  send  to  foreign  powers  the  account 
of  magnificent  festivities.  This  splendid  palace,  with 
its  proud  memories  of  the  old  French  monarchy,  was 
a  residence  that  pleased  him.  He  liked  to  be  sur- 
rounded by  great  persons,  whether  foreigners  or 
Frenchmen,  who  rivalled  one  another  in  flattery, 
zeal,  and  homage  towards  him.  In  his  opinion,  fes- 
tivities and  battles  added  to  the  glory  of  the  throne. 
Desiring  to  be  in  everything  first,  he  was  very  anxious 
for  his  court  to  be  esteemed  the  most  brilliant  in 
Europe. 

There  were  various  types  among  the  guests  at  Fon- 
tainebleau.  There  was  Napoleon's  mother,  rather 
Italian  than  French  by  birth,  and  in  face  and  accent. 
She  recalled  the  characters  of  antiquity,  unspoiled 
by  prosperity,  austere  in  her  life,  simple  in  her  taste, 
rigidly  economical,  less  from  avarice  than  a  distrust 

291 


292       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

of  the  continuance  of  her  son's  good  fortune.  There 
was  the  beautiful  Princess  Borghese,  Duchess  of 
Guastalla,  more  elegant,  more  fashionable,  more 
attractive  than  ever;  then  Madame  Murat,  rich  in 
freshness  and  brilliancy,  not  satisfied  with  being  a 
French  Princess  and  Grand  Duchess  of  Berg,  but 
yearning  to  be  a  Queen ;  the  Queen  of  Holland,  on 
the  other  hand,  in  despair  at  having  ascended  the 
throne,  and  plunged  in  a  deep  melancholy  in  marked 
contrast  with  the  splendors  surrounding  her  in  spite 
of  herself.  Then  Joseph  Bonaparte's  wife,  the  Queen 
of  Naples,  whose  tastes  were  modest,  and  who  pre- 
ferred Paris  to  her  Italian  kingdom.  There  were  many 
Princes  and  great  lords  in  the  crowd  of  courtiers,  the 
satellites  of  the  Imperial  sun.  In  the  Gallery  of 
Henry  II.  were  to  be  distinguished  a  cluster  of  Ger- 
man Princes:  the  Grand  Duke  of  Wiirzburg,  who 
did  not  seem  to  sigh  for  his  Grand  Duchy  of  Tus- 
cany, finding  ample  consolation  in  singing  Italian 
pieces,  for  music  was  his  passion ;  the  Prince  Primate 
of  the  Confederation  of  the  Rhine,  Archbishop  of 
Regensburg,  Sovereign  Prince  of  that  city  and  of 
Frankfort,  who,  in  spite  of  his  position  in  the  church, 
joined  the  Emperor's  hunt;  Prince  William  of 
Prussia,  who  hoped  by  his  devotion  to  alleviate  the 
troubles  of  his  country,  and  to  modify  the  demands 
of  the  hero  of  Jena;  the  Prince  of  Mecklenburg- 
Schwerin,  conspicuous  for  his  formal  German  polite- 
ness; the  young  Prince  of  Mecklenburg-Strelitz, 
brother  of  the  Queen  of  Prussia,  less  interested  in 


THE  COURT  AT  FONTAINEBLEAU,  203 

the  patriotic  grievances  of  his  sister,  than  in  his  assid- 
uous court  to  the  Empress  Josephine,  whose  respect- 
ful platonic  lover  he  was ;  the  Prince  of  Baden,  who, 
although  the  brother-in-law  of  the  Emperor  of  Rus- 
sia, the  King  of  Bavaria,  and  the  King  of  Sweden, 
was  proud  to  have  married  a  Mademoiselle  de  Beau- 
harnais,  daughter  of  a  simple  Senator  of  the  Empire, 
with  but  one  regret  —  that  his  wife  did  not  love  him 
enough;  Jerome,  the  young  and  brilliant  King  of 
Westphalia,  apparently  forgetful  of  Elisabeth  Pater- 
son,  and  full  of  mad  love  for  his  new  wife.  Princess 
Catherine  of  Wiirtemberg. 

In  the  Gallery  of  Henry  II.  was  also  to  be  seen 
Murat,  who,  after  his  triumphal  entry  into  Warsaw, 
thought  of  nothing  but  crowns,  anxiously  wondering 
whether  he  was  to  be  King  of  Poland,  or  of  Portugal, 
of  Spain,  or  of  Naples.  There  were  the  high  digni- 
taries of  the  Empire,  the  foreign  ambassadors,  the 
marshals,  the  ministers ;  M.  de  Talleyrand  with  his 
enormous  salary,  his  high  position  as  Grand  Cham- 
berlain and  Vice-Elector,  his  title  of  Prince  of  Bene- 
vento,  always  sparkling  with  the  cold,  sceptical, 
politely  contemptuous  wit  that  distinguished  those 
who  belonged  to  the  old  regime  —  Talleyrand,  who, 
in  the  Emperor's  closet  possibly  spoke  to  him  with  a 
certain  freedom,  but  in  the  Gallery  of  Henry  II. 
resembled  the  other  courtiers  and  kept  a  profound 
silence  as  his  master  drew  near.  Then  the  Count  of 
S^gur,  Grand  Master  of  Ceremonies,  as  attractive  in 
the  court  of  Napoleon  as  he  had  been  in  that  of 


294       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

Catherine  II.  as  ambassador  of  Louis  XVI. ;  Marshal 
Berthier,  Grand  Master  of  the  Horse,  Vice-Constable, 
Sovereign  Prince  of  Neufch^tel,  as  devoted  to  Madame 
Visconti  as  if  he  were  a  youth  of  twenty ;  Count  Tol- 
stoi, the  brilliant  ambassador  of  the  Emperor  Alex- 
ander ;  M.  de  Metternich,  the  fascinating  and  skilful 
Austrian  Ambassador,  conspicuous  by  his  admiration 
for  Princess  Murat. 

When  the  Emperor  entered,  all  eyes  were  turned 
towards  him  alone ;  about  him  centred  all  interest, 
all  intrigues,  all  ambitions.  He  appeared  as  the 
dispenser  of  fortune,  the  arbiter  of  destiny,  the 
exceptional  being  on  whom  depended  individuals, 
kingdoms,  empires.  He  filled  it  all  with  his  presence ; 
every  one  semed  to  live  only  for  and  by  the  Emperor. 
A  smile,  a  word,  the  slightest  mark  of  attention  on 
his  part,  seemed  a  precious  reward,  a  marked  honor. 
As  soon  as  he  entered,  a  quiver  of  admiration  and 
of  terror  seemed  to  run  through  the  air.  Every  one 
bowed  like  a  horse  who  sniffs  the  approach  of  his 
master;  they  almost  prostrated  themselves  before 
him.  Any  one  to  whom  he  spoke,  stammered,  feared 
to  reply,  turned  pale  and  red ;  and  he,  rejoicing  in 
their  embarrassment,  gloried  in  the  wide  gulf  he  had 
set  between  himself  and  all  other  human  beings. 
Even  foreigners  seemed  to  be  his  subjects.  What- 
ever their  position,  whatever  their  coat-of-arms,  by 
his  side  they  were  vulgar  supernumeraries.  His 
power  appeared  to  be  limitless,  like  his  genius ;  and 
believing  everything  possible,  looking  upon  himself 


THE  COUBT  AT  FONTAINEBLEAU.  295 

as   a  prodigy,  a  living  miracle,  he  exulted  proudly 
and  majestically  in  his  glory. 

Under  the  second  Empire,  what  were  called  the 
series  of  Compi^gne  and  of  Fontainebleau  were  much 
less  ceremonious  than  under  the  first.  All  the  guests 
of  Napoleon  III.  breakfasted  and  dined  at  his  table,  — • 
in  the  morning  in  frock-coat,  in  the  evening  in  black 
coat  and  knee  breeches  ;  no  uniforms  were  to  be  seen. 
Women  appeared  at  breakfast  in  morning  dress ;  they 
wore  no  especial  dress  at  the  hunt.  Before  dinner 
the  Empress  used  to  receive  a  few  specially  invited 
guests  to  drink  tea.  All  day  the  Emperor  left  the 
company  perfectly  free.  In  the  evening  there  was 
dancing  to  the  music  of  a  piano  like  a  hand-organ, 
of  which  a  chamberlain  turned  the  handle.  The 
Emperor  was  treated  with  great  deference,  but  no 
one  feared  him,  because  his  words  were  always 
marked  by  great  affability.  Napoleon  I.,  on  the 
other  hand,  was  perhaps  more  feared  than  admired. 
Those  who  were  charged  with  organizing  his  enter- 
tainments were  perfectly  happy  if  he  was  silent ;  for 
he  almost  never  gave  a  word  of  praise  and  often 
criticised.  It  was  a  conspicuous  and  rare  honor, 
even  for  Princes,  to  dine  with  him.  There  were 
besides  at  Fontainebleau,  in  1807,  several  distinct 
tables:  those  of  the  Princes  and  Princesses  of  the 
Imperial  family,  who  often  gave  grand  dinners ;  that 
of  the  Grand  Marshal  of  the  Palace,  with  twenty-five 
places ;  that  of  the  Empress's  Maid  of  Honor,  with 
the   same   number;  and,  finally,  a  last  table  for  all 


296       COUBT  OF  THE  E3IPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

those  who  had  received  no  special  invitation.  The 
Princesses  paid  the  cost  of  installing  themselves 
there  out  of  their  own  purses,  while  under  Napoleon 
III.,  at  Fontainebleau,  or  at  Compiegne,  all  the  ex- 
penses were  defrayed  by  the  Emperor.  Under  the 
first  Empire  only  those  holding  high  official  position 
were  invited  to  the  Imperial  residences;  under  the 
second,  many  were  invited  who  were  famous  only 
for  their  elegance.  Under  Napoleon  I.,  where  every- 
thing was  formal,  scarcely  anything  but  tragedy  was 
played  at  the  court;  under  Napoleon  III.,  lighter 
plays  were  often  given.  The  hunts  were  very  simple 
under  the  second  Emperor  and  very  magnificent 
under  the  first.  In  1807  Napoleon  had  ordered  that 
women  who  went  to  the  coursing  should  wear  a 
special  costume ;  that  of  the  Empress  and  of  all  the 
ladies  of  her  household  was  of  amaranthine  velvet, 
embroidered  with  gold,  and  a  cap  with  white  feathers ; 
that  of  the  Princesses,  blue  for  the  Queen  of  Holland, 
pink  for  the  Princess  Murat,  lilac  for  the  Princess 
Borghese,  all  adorned  with  silver  embroidery.  The 
Emperor  and  all  his  guests  wore  the  same  hunting 
dress  for  coursing:  a  green  coat  with  gold  buttons 
and  lace,  breeches  of  white  cassimere,  Hessian  boots 
without  tops;  for  shooting,  a  green  coat,  with  no 
other  ornament  than  white  buttons,  on  which  were 
carved  hunting  emblems.  Under  the  first  Empire, 
etiquette  was  most  rigid ;  under  the  second,  it  hardly 
existed.  At  every  moment  of  day  and  evening, 
Napoleon   I.   wore  a  twofold  air   as   commander-in- 


THE  COUBT  AT  FONTAIJSfEBLEAU.  297 

chief  and  sovereign;  Napoleon  III.  was  like  a  man 
of  the  world  receiving  his  friends  in  his  own  castle. 

From  September  21  to  November  15,  1807,  the 
great  general  had  commanded  that  there  should  be 
amusement  in  the  Palace  of  Fontainebleau.  Pleasure 
was  ordered,  but  it  does  not  come  at  call.  The  Em- 
peror, accustomed  to  have  his  every  wish  obeyed,  was 
surprised  to  see  that  not  every  face  was  radiant. 
"Strange,"  he  said,  "I  have  gathered  a  good  many 
people  here  at  Fontainebleau ;  I  want  them  to  amuse 
themselves,  I  have  arranged  their  pleasures,  yet  every 
one  seems  tired  and  sad."  The  Italian  songs,  even 
when  sung  by  the  best  singers,  in  costume  and  with 
all  the  scenery,  produced  but  a  feeble  impression. 
The  tragedies  seemed  to  induce  slumber.  The  little 
balls,  or,  more  exactly,  the  little  hops  in  the  apartment 
of  the  Maid  of  Honor,  Madame  de  la  Rochefoucauld, 
were  very  dull.  Sometimes  little  games  were  played 
there  ;  they  gave  a  flash  of  gaiety,  but  as  soon  as  the 
Emperor  appeared,  every  one  assumed  a  serious,  com- 
posed air.  Might  one  not  say  once  more  what  La- 
Bruy^re  said  when  speaking  of  the  court  of  Louis 
XIV. :  "  Who  would  believe  that  this  eagerness  for 
shows,  that  meals,  hunts,  ballets,  tilting-matches, 
crowned  so  many  anxieties,  pains,  and  diverse  inter- 
ests, so  many  fears  and  hopes,  so  many  lively  passions, 
and  serious  affairs  ?  "  A  palace  is  not  built  for  ease. 
All  its  formalities  hang  heavy  on  every  guest;  the 
whole  of  every  day  is  spent  in  playing  a  part. 

Amid  all  these  empty  i)leasures  and  hollow  joys 


298        COURT  OF  THE  EMPBES8  JOSEPHINE. 

there  was  no  lack  of  sorrow.  It  was  there  that  the 
wretched  Queen  Hortense,  spitting  blood,  mourning 
the  past  and  dreading  the  future,  said  to  Napoleon : 
"  My  reputation  is  tainted,  my  health  ruined,  I  expect 
no  more  happiness  in  life;  banish  me  from  your  court; 
if  you  wish,  lock  me  up  in  a  convent,  I  desire  neither 
throne  nor  fortune.  Give  peace  to  my  mother,  glory 
to  Eugene,  who  deserves  it,  but  let  me  live  a  calm  and 
solitary  life."  She  had  been  happier  as  an  unknown 
schoolgirl  at  Madame  Campan's,  just  as  her  mother, 
the  Empress  of  the  French  and  the  Queen  of  Italy, 
must  have  often  sighed  for  the  island  of  Martinique, 
where  she  would  have  preferred  the  splash  of  the 
waves  to  the  courtiers'  murmur  of  obsequious  flattery. 
Napoleon  himself,  at  the  height  of  human  glory,  had 
lost  the  peace  of  heart  which  he  enjoyed  in  his  boy- 
hood, and  never  found  again. 

The  Empress  Josephine  naturally  held  the  highest 
place  in  this  brilliant  court  of  Fontainebleau,  and  was 
the  object  of  untiring  homage;  few,  however,  sus- 
pected the  anxieties  that  tormented  her,  so  calm  and 
happy  did  she  appear,  with  a  kind  word  and  a  gracious 
smile  for  every  one. 

M.  de  Metternich,  the  Austrian  Ambassador  who 
was  then  at  Fontainebleau,  took  pains  to  ascertain 
the  causes  of  her  secret  sorrow,  and  sent  the  details 
to  his  government.  He  wrote  to  von  Stadion :  "  In 
many  of  my  previous  reports  I  have  had  the  honor  of 
speaking  to  Your  Excellency  about  the  long  current 
rumors  regarding  the  approaching  divorce  of  the  Em- 


THE  COURT  AT  FONTAINEBLEAU.  299 

peror.  After  circulating  vaguely  in  the  last  two 
months,  they  have  become  the  subject  of  general  and 
public  discussion.  It  is  true  of  these  rumors,  as  of  all 
not  stamped  out  at  their  birth,  that  they  rest  on  some 
foundation  of  truth,  or  they  would  be  promptly 
silenced,  if  they  were  not  directly  tolerated."  Then 
the  clear-sighted  ambassador  reported  in  the  same  de- 
spatch what  he  had  learned,  thanks  to  his  relations  with 
persons  to  whom  the  Empress  had  made  revelations : 
"  Since  his  return  from  the  army,  the  Emperor's  bear- 
ing towards  his  wife  has  been  cold  and  embarrassed. 
He  no  longer  lives  in  the  same  apartment  with  her, 
and  many  of  his  daily  habits  have  undergone  a  change. 
Rumors  of  the  Empress's  divorce  began  at  that 
moment  to  assume  a  more  serious  form ;  when  they 
reached  her  ears  she  simply  waited  for  some  direct 
information,  without  letting  the  Emperor  see  the 
slightest  anxiety." 

Josephine  was  sorely  stricken,  and  her  sufferings 
were  all  the  more  intense  because  she  had  to  hide 
them  from  every  one,  especially  from  her  husband, 
and  they  made  a  marked  contrast,  by  the  irony  of 
fate,  with  the  pleasures  and  amusements  that  sur- 
rounded her.  She  was  too  clear-sighted  and  intelli- 
gent to  proceed  to  question  the  Emperor.  She  feared 
light  and  dreaded  the  truth.  She  hesitated  before 
the  abyss  that  awaited  her,  and  shuddered  before  the 
Emperor's  glance.  She  suffered  on  the  throne,  as  if 
it  were  an  instrument  of  torture.  It  was  then  that 
Fouch^  took  some  steps  which  doubled  her  anguish. 


300       COURT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

The  incident  is  thus  recounted  by  Prince  Metternich 
in  the  despatch  already  cited :  "  One  day  the  Minis- 
ter of  Police  visited  her  at  Fontainebleau,  and  after  a 
short  preamble,  told  her  that  the  public  good,  and, 
above  all,  the  strengthening  of  the  existing  dynasty 
requiring  that  the  Emperor  should  have  children,  she 
ought  to  ask  the  Senate  to  join  with  her  in  demanding 
of  the  Emperor  a  sacrifice  most  painful  to  his  heart. 
The  Empress,  who  was  prepared  for  the  question, 
asked  Fouch^,  with  great  coolness,  if  he  took  this 
step  by  the  Emperor's  orders.  'No,' he  replied;  'I 
speak  to  Your  Majesty  as  a  minister  charged  with  a 
general  supervision,  as  a  private  citizen,  as  a  subject 
devoted  to  his  country's  glory.'  '  In  that  case  I  have 
nothing  to  say  to  you,'  interrupted  the  Empress ;  '  I 
regard  my  union  with  the  Emperor  as  written  in  the 
book  of  Fate.  I  shall  never  discuss  the  matter  with 
any  one  but  him,  and  never  will  do  anything  but  what 
he  orders.'"  Josephine,  when  she  mentioned  this 
conversation  to  her  confidant,  M.  de  Lavalette,  who 
had  married  a  Mademoiselle  de  Beauharnais,  said  to 
him  iA  great  perplexity :  "  Is  it  not  clear  that  Fouch^ 
was  sent  by  the  Emperor  and  that  my  fate  is  settled  ? 
Alas !  To  leave  the  throne  is  nothing  to  me.  Who 
knows  better  than  I  do  how  many  tears  I  have  shed 
there?  But  to  lose  at  the  same  time  the  man  to 
whom  I  have  given  my  best  love,  that  sacrifice  is 
beyond  my  strength." 

But  to  return  to  Prince   Metternich's  despatch: 
"  Many  days  passed  without  incident,  when  suddenly 


THE  COURT  AT  FONTAINEBLEAU.  301 

the  Emperor  began  to  share  again  the  Empress's 
apartment  and  took  a  favorable  moment  to  ask  why 
she  had  been  so  sad  for  some  days.  The  Empress 
then  told  him  of  her  interview  with  Fouch^.  The 
Emperor  confirmed  his  statement  that  he  had  never 
given  him  any  such  orders.  He  added  that  she 
ought  to  know  him  well  enough  to  be  sure  that  he 
had  no  need  of  any  go-between  to  manage  matters 
with  her,  and  made  her  promise  to  report  to  him  any- 
thing further  she  might  hear  about  the  matter." 
Josephine  was  not  at  all  comforted.  Napoleon's 
explanation  was  very  embarrassed,  and  who  could 
think  that  so  crafty  and  ambitious  a  man  as  Fouchd 
could  assume  the  responsibility  of  such  a  negotiation 
if  he  supposed  that  thereby  he  exposed  himself  to  his 
master's  wrath? 

The  Minister  of  Police  did  not  confine  himself  to 
mere  spoken  words.  A  few  days  after  his  interview 
with  the  Empress,  he  wrote  to  her  a  long  letter  on 
large  paper,  in  which  he  set  forth  all  the  arguments 
he  had  already  brought  forward,  to  urge  upon  her 
the  spontaneous  sacrifice  which  would  be  the  more 
meritorious,  the  more  painful  it  was.  Josephine, 
who  received  this  letter  in  the  evening,  summoned 
M.  de  R^musat  at  midnight  to  show  it  to  him. 
"What  shall  I  do,"  she  asked,  "to  ward  off  this 
storm?"  "Madame,"  replied  the  First  Chamberlain, 
"  my  advice  is  to  go  this  very  moment  to  the  Em- 
peror, if  he  has  not  gone  to  bed,  or  else  the  very  first 
thing    to-morrow  morning.     Remember,   you    must 


302       COURT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

seem  to  have  consulted  no  one.  Make  him  read  this 
letter ;  watch  him  as  closely  as  you  can ;  but,  what- 
ever happens,  show  that  you  hate  these  roundabout 
methods,  and  tell  him  again  that  you  will  never 
listen  to  anything  but  a  direct  order  from  him." 

The  Empress  did  as  he  said.  Napoleon,  to  use  a 
common  expression,  was  "  cornered."  He  pretended 
to  be  much  surprised,  and  very  angry ;  promised  "  to 
comb  Fouch^'s  head,"  and  even  added  that  if  she 
desired  he  would  take  away  his  portfolio ;  and  to 
calm  her  he  went  so  far  as  to  write  to  the  Minister 
of  Police  this  letter,  dated  Fontainebleau,  November 
6,1807:  — 

"  Monsieur  Fouche  :  In  the  last  fortnight  I  have 
heard  of  your  foolish  actions;  it  is  time  for  you 
to  put  an  end  to  them,  and  to  stop  interfering, 
directly  or  indirectly,  in  a  matter  which  in  no  way 
concerns  you ;  that  is  my  wish." 

Fouch^  was  not  at  all  disturbed  by  his  master's 
reproach.  He  was  at  heart  convinced  that  he  had 
not  displeased  him;  he  kept  his  portfolio,  and  was 
sure  that  the  divorce,  though  postponed,  was  irre- 
vocably decided  on  by  the  Emperor.  Josephine  had 
no  more  illusions.  It  was  in  vain  that  Napoleon 
spoke  to  her  kindly,  and  tried  to  console  her  with 
kisses  and  even  tears,  —  for  Napoleon  used  to  cry 
sometimes,  —  after  Fouche  had  made  his  overtures 
she  had  no  more  peace  of  mind. 

The  end  of  the  stay  at  Fontainebleau  was  very 
gloomy.     All  became  tired  of  this  life  of  empty  show, 


THE  COURT  AT  FONTAINEBLEAV.  303 

of  the  perpetual  constraint,  of  the  pleasures  which 
by  dint  of  repetition  became  dull  and  monotonous. 
Every  one  longed  for  home,  to  escape  from  this  mas- 
ter's glances ;  for  his  presence  inspired  an  admiration 
tempered  with  dread.  The  women  had  spent  vast 
sums  in  their  dress.  The  men  had  indulged  in  ambi- 
tious plans  almost  always  futile.  The  German 
princelings  had  suffered  in  their  lordly  pride  and 
German  patriotism  by  having  to  bow  their  heads 
before  the  formidable  man  whose  humble  vassals 
they  were,  and  these  men,  vain  of  their  coat-of-arms, 
had  not  seen  without  a  secret  spite  the  crushing 
superiority  of  a  poor  Corsican  gentleman.  This 
great  conqueror  himself  was  not  happy  in  all  his 
splendor.  Although  he  was  no  longer  in  love  with 
his  wife,  it  was  not  without  sadness  that  he  had  seen 
her  uneasiness  and  grief.  Anxiety  about  the  condi- 
tion of  Spain,  which  was  so  fatal  to  him,  cast  a  cloud 
on  his  brow.  When  hunting  in  the  forest,  he  was 
often  seen  to  lose  himself  in  thought  and  to  let  his 
horse  wander  as  he  pleased.  At  the  theatrical  per- 
formances it  was  noticed  that,  absorbed  and  dis- 
tracted, he  appeared  to  think  less  of  the  play  than  of 
his  vast  plans. 

Not  long  since  I  visited  the  palace  and  the  forest 
of  Fontainebleau,  in  one  of  those  cold  but  bright 
autumn  days  when  the  half  bare  trees  have  a  strange 
appearance,  when  some  leaves  are  as  red  as  blood, 
others  as  yellow  as  gold,  and  nature  wears  all  the 
countless  hues  which  defy  the  artist's  brush.     The 


S04       COURT  OF  THJS  JEMPMESS  JOSEPHINE. 

forest  is  wonderfully  beautiful  with  its  marvellous 
combination  of  trees  and  rocks.  All  the  kings  of 
France  since  Louis  VII.  have  inhabited  this  palace. 
The  holy  head  of  Louis  IX.  appears  there  with 
his  aureola  on  his  head.  In  the  gallery  of  Francis 
I.,  with  its  nymphs  and  fauns,  amid  garlands,  fruits, 
and  emblems,  one  recalls  that  King  and  Charles  V. 
who  entered  the  palace  by  the  gilded  door,  and 
who  took  part  in  the  great  festival  in  the  forest, 
when  nymphs,  fauns,  and  gods  seemed  to  issue  from 
the  trunks  of  oaks  to  the  sound  of  tambourines,  and 
a  band  of  maidens  flung  flowers  before  the  feet  of 
the  Spanish  court.  One  recalls,  too,  Catharine  de' 
Medici  with  her  squadron  of  young  and  brilliant 
amazons  —  Catharine  de'  Medici  who  in  this  palace 
brought  forth  her  two  sons,  Francis  11.  and  Henry 
III.  At  the  end  of  the  oval  court  is  a  dome  of  rich 
and  picturesque  construction,  called  the  baptistery  of 
Louis  XIII.  because  that  king  was  baptized  there. 
Then  there  are  the  apartments  of  the  queen 
mothers:  Catharine  de'  Medici,  Maria  de'  Medici, 
Anne  of  Austria,  and  those  of  Pius  VII.,  a  captive 
at  Fontainebleau.  In  the  bedroom  of  the  queen 
mothers  an  altar  was  raised  where  the  Vicar  of  Christ 
said  mass.  The  hangings  of  embroidered  satin  in 
this  room  were  a  wedding-gift  from  the  city  of  Lyons 
to  Marie  Antoinette.  The  room  is  a  model  of  luxury 
and  elegance,  and  is  called  the  Chamber  of  the  Five 
Maries  because  it  has  been  inhabited  by  five  sover- 
eigns bearing  that  name,  Maria  de'   Medici,   Maria 


THE  COURT  AT  FONTAINEBLEAU.  305 

Theresa,  Marie  Antoinette,  Marie  Louise,  and  Marie 
Am^lie.  It  was  also  the  Empress  Eugenie's  chamber. 
This  marvellously  picturesque  palace  of  Fontaine- 
bleau  is  full  of  interesting  reminiscences,  but  of  all 
the  figures  it  recalls,  no  figure  is  more  impressive 
than  that  of  Napoleon.  There  is  much  gorgeous  fur- 
niture in  the  palace  of  various  sorts,  in  the  style  of 
the  renaissance,  of  Louis  XIV.,  Louis  XV.,  and  Louis 
XVI. ;  but  no  piece  attracts  more  attention  than  the 
plain  mahogany  table  on  which  Napoleon  signed  his 
abdication.  Then  how  impressive  is  the  bedroom 
where  he  spent  terrible  nights,  unable  to  sleep,  and  at 
last  seeking  in  suicide  a  cure  for  his  despair !  Con- 
sider the  contrast  between  1807  and  1814!  Mean- 
while there  had  been  changes  of  face,  many  apostasies. 
"Ah  I  Caulaincourt,  mankind,  mankind !  "  exclaimed 
the  deserted  Emperor.  Every  one  left  him,  promising 
him  a  speedy  return,  but  no  one  thought  of  it.  Fon- 
tainebleau  became  a  desert.  If  the  sound  of  wheels 
was  heard,  it  was  never  of  carriages  arriving,  but  only 
of  carriages  going  away.  It  was  at  Fontainebleau  that 
Napoleon's  pride  triumphed,  and  there  that  his  pride 
suffered  its  crudest  humiliations.  What  anguish  he 
endured,  this  man  of  destiny,  in  that  room  where  he 
wrote :  "  To  finish  my  career  by  signing  a  treaty  in 
which  I  have  not  been  able  to  stipulate  a  single  gen- 
eral interest,  nor  even  one  moral  interest,  such  as  the 
preservation  of  our  colonies,  or  the  maintenance  of 
the  Legion  of  Honor  I  To  sign  a  treaty  by  which 
money  is   given  to  me  I "     What  anguish  tore  his 


306        COUBT  OF  TSE  EMPUESS  JOSEPHINE. 

mind  and  body  when,  having  taken  too  small  a  dose 
of  poison,  he  said  between  his  spasms :  "  How  hard  it 
is  to  die,  and  it  is  so  easy  on  the  battle-field  !  Why 
didn't  I  die  at  Arcis-sxir-Aube ! "  Did  he  then  recall 
the  splendor  of  his  return  from  Jena,  from  Friedland, 
from  Tilsitt  ?  Did  he  remember  the  crowd  of  court- 
iers who  resembled  priests  whose  God  he  was  ?  The 
only  courtiers  left  were  those  to  whom  he  had  given 
neither  money  nor  honors,  the  old  soldiers  of  his 
guard,  with  their  gray  mustaches,  who  could  not 
restrain  their  sobs  and  tears  when,  in  the  Court  of  the 
White  Horse,  he  bade  them  farewell,  saying,  "I 
should  like  to  embrace  you  in  my  arms,  but  let  me 
embrace  this  flag  which  represents  you." 


XXVI. 

THE  END  OF  THE  YEAR  1807. 

"TTTHILE  the  court  was  still  at  Fontainebleau,  the 
Y  Y  Empress  received  a  piece  of  news,  which  had 
been  kept  back  from  her  for  some  days,  and  which 
added  materially  to  her  sorrows.  Her  widowed 
mother,  Madame  Tascher  de  la  Pagerie,  whom  she 
had  not  seen  since  September,  1790,  had  died  June 
2,  1807,  at  the  age  of  seventy,  in  her  home  at  Marti- 
nique. Josephine,  who  was  much  attached  to  her 
mother,  had  done  her  best  to  persuade  her  to  come 
to  France,  where  she  would  have  been  sure  of  the 
warmest  welcome.  But  that  venerable  lady  had  per- 
haps chosen  more  wisely  in  preferring  her  modest 
and  quiet  home  to  all  the  splendor  and  excitement 
of  an  Imperial  palace.  From  afar  she  thought  of  her 
daughter  at  the  summit  of  human  happiness;  near 
her,  she  would  often  have  seen  her  sad  and  down- 
cast. By  not  approaching  the  throne  which,  at  a 
distance,  appears  like  a  magic  seat,  but,  to  use  the 
Emperor's  expression,  is  in  fact  only  an  armchair 
covered  with  velvet,  Napoleon's  mother-in-law  was 
spared  the  sight  of  much  misery,  and  she  died,  as 
she  had  lived,  in  peace. 


808       COVMT  OF  THS  EMPRESS  JOSEPBINE. 


The  Emperor  left  for  Italy  November  16,  1807, 
and  this  departure  was  for  Josephine,  already  so 
afflicted,  another  source  of  anxiety  and  sadness.  She 
would  gladly  have  gone  with  him,  and  have  seen 
once  more  Eugene  and  her  granddaughter,  who  was 
named  after  her;  but  Napoleon  had  decided  other- 
wise. He  was  no  longer  unable  to  live  without  his 
wife,  and  he  no  longer  thought  with  La  Fontaine  that 
absence  was  the  greatest  of  evils.  He  alleged  as  rea- 
son, the  inclemency  of  the  winter,  said  that  he  should 
be  back  early  in  December  —  in  fact,  he  did  not 
return  to  the  Tuileries  till  January  1  —  and  to  the 
Empress's  great  despair  set  off  without  her,  leaving 
her  the  prey  of  the  liveliest  anxiety,  the  crudest 
fears. 

In  Italy  Napoleon  received  the  same  ardent  flattery 
as  in  France.  He  reached  Milan  November  22,  before 
Prince  Eugene  had  had  time  to  ride  out  to  meet 
him.  After  ovations,  reviews,  religious  ceremonies 
at  the  Cathedral,  grand  performances  at  the  Scala,  he 
went  to  Venice.  Here  he  was  received  with  all  the 
luxury  that  used  to  be  displayed  at  the  majestic  mar- 
riage of  the  doge  and  the  Adriatic.  When  he  reached 
Fusina,  he  entered  a  gondola  rowed  by  men  in  satin 
coats  embroidered  with  gold.  He  entered  the  grand 
canal  beneath  an  arch  of  triumph  between  a  double 
line  of  boats  adorned  with  festoons  and  garlands.  At 
the  Venice  theatre  he  saw  a  grand  performance  repre- 
senting Olympus,  and  then  was  played,  amid  applause, 
the  popular  air,  Napoleone  il  grande.     He  had  with 


THE  END   OE  THE   TEAR   1807.  309 

him  in  Venice  his  brother  Joseph,  King  of  Naples ; 
his  sister,  Elisa  Bacciochi,  Princess  of  Lucca ;  his 
step-son,  Prince  Eugene,  Viceroy  of  Italy;  the  King 
and  Queen  of  Bavaria,  the  father-in-law  and  mother- 
in-law  of  this  Prince ;  Murat,  Grand  Duke  of  Berg, 
and  Berthier,  Prince  of  Neufch^tel.  He  left  Venice 
December  8,  dining  at  Treviso.  The  11th  he  was  at 
Udine,  and  the  14th  at  Mantua. 

It  was  in  this  city  that  he  had  a  secret  interview 
with  his  brother  Lucien,  with  whom  he  wished  to  be 
reconciled,  but  on  one  absolute  condition,  sine  qua 
non.  It  will  be  remembered  that  Lucien,  against  the 
First  Consul's  wishes,  had  married  Alexandrine  de 
Bleschamps,  widow  of  M.  Jouberthon;  who,  after 
being  a  broker  in  Paris,  had  died  in  Saint  Domingo, 
whither  he  had  followed  the  French  expedition.  Napo- 
leon, who  was  anxious  to  marry  Lucien  with  Queen 
Marie  Louise,  daughter  of  Charles  IV.  of  Spain,  and 
widow  of  Louis  I.,  King  of  Etruria,  wished  to  annul 
this  marriage.  But  this  brilliant  offer  had  been  per- 
emptorily declined  by  the  man  who  preferred  a  wom- 
an's love  to  a  crown.  In  the  spring  of  1804  Lucien 
had  voluntarily  left  France  to  seek  in  Rome  an 
asylum  from  his  brother's  incessant  reproaches  and 
demands.  His  mother,  Madame  Letitia,  who  thor- 
oughly approved  of  him,  had  followed  him  to  Rome, 
and  the  Emperor  had  met  with  some  difficulty  in 
persuading  her  to  return  to  Paris,  which  she  only  did 
after  the  coronation. 

M.  de  M^neval  went  by  night  to  fetch  Lucien  from 


810       COTTBT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPBINE. 

the  inn  where  he  was  staying,  and  led  him  mysteri- 
ously to  the  palace  which  the  Emperor  occupied. 
Lucien,  instead  of  falling  in  his  brother's  arms, 
greeted  him  coldly,  with  dignified  reserve. 

Stanislas  de  Girardin,  in  his  interesting  "  Journal," 
has  recounted  the  interview  of  the  two  brothers,  as 
he  heard  it  from  Lucien  himself.  They  said  very 
much  what  follows :  — 

"  Well,  sir,  do  you  still  hold  to  Madame  Jouber- 
thon  and  her  son  ?  " 

"  Madame  Jouberthon  is  my  wife,  and  her  son  is 
my  son." 

"  No,  no,  since  it  is  a  marriage  which  I  do  not  rec- 
ognize, and  consequently  null." 

"  I  contracted  it  lawfully,  as  citizen  and  as  Chris- 
tian." 

"  The  civil  act  was  illegal,  and  it  is  known  that 
you  gave  a  priest  twenty-five  louis-d'or  to  persuade 
him  to  marry  you." 

"Doubtless  Your  Majesty,  when  he  invited  me 
here,  did  not  do  so  for  the  purpose  of  paining  me ;  if 
that  is  his  intention,  I  withdraw." 

"  I  have  conquered  Europe,  and  certainly  I  should 
not  flinch  before  you.  You  owe  your  peaceful  life 
in  Rome  to  my  kindness ;  but  you  are  acquiring  there 
a  consideration  which  displeases  me,  and  in  time  you 
will  annoy  me ;  I  will  order  you  to  go  away,  and  I 
will  make  you  leave  Europe." 

«  And  if  I  should  not  obey?" 

"  I  will  have  you  arrested." 


THE  END   OF  THE  TEAB  1807.  311 

"  And  then  ?  " 

"I  shall  have  you  sent  to  Bic^tre  and  then  if — " 

"  I  should  defy  you  to  commit  a  crime  I  " 

"  Don't  speak  to  me  in  that  way ;  don't  imagine  you 
can  impose  on  me.  I  repeat,  I  have  not  conquered 
Europe  to  flinch  before  you.     Leave  the  room. ' 

Lucien  did  not  leave,  and  Napoleon,  after  a  few 
violent  words,  became  a  little  calmer.  Lucien  then 
renewed  the  stormy  discussion,  trying  to  pacify  his 
brother. 

"  I  had  no  intention  of  displeasing  Your  Majesty 
by  saying  what  should  show  the  high  opinion  I  have 
of  the  greatness  of  his  soul." 

"  Never  mind  that ;  cast  your  eyes  on  the  map  of 
the  world  then.  Join  us,  Lucien,  and  take  your 
share;  it  will  be  a  fine  one,  I  promise  you.  The 
throne  of  Portugal  is  empty;  I  have  declared  that 
the  King  shall  cease  to  reign.  I  will  give  it  to  you ; 
take  command  of  the  army  destined  to  make  an  easy 
conquest  of  it,  and  I  will  make  you  a  French  Prince 
and  my  lieutenant.  The  daughters  of  your  first  wife 
shall  be  my  nieces ;  I  will  establish  them  in  life.  I 
will  marry  the  eldest  to  the  Prince  of  the  Asturias ; 
the  King  of  Spain  asks  it  of  me  as  a  favor;  I  can 
prove  it  by  this  letter." 

"My  eldest  daughter.  Sire,  is  not  yet  thirteen; 
she  is  not  old  enough  to  be  married." 

"  I  thought  she  was  older." 

"  In  a  year  or  two,  I  will  gladly  let  you  dispose  of 
her." 


812       COURT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

"  Then  there  are  no  difficulties  about  the  children 
of  your  first  wife.  You  have  daughters  by  your 
second  wife.  I  will  adopt  them;  you  have  a  boy 
too ;  I  shall  not  recognize  him ;  his  mother  will  have 
an  important  duchy,  and  he  can  be  her  heir.  As  for 
you,  go  to  Lisbon,  leave  your  wife  and  your  son  in 
Rome ;  I  will  look  after  them.  Your  ties  are  broken. 
I  will  find  a  way." 

"  That  can  only  be  by  divorce." 

"And  why  not?  That  is  a  frank  and  positive  way 
which  perfectly  suits  me.  I  want  to  be  reconciled 
with  you,  and  you  know  the  price  attached  to  the 
Portuguese  crown." 

"  I  see  that  to  get  it  I  should  have  to  consent  to 
make  my  wife  a  concubine,  my  son  a  bastard.  Your 
Majesty  knows  me  ill  if  he  has  been  able  to  believe 
that  the  offer  of  a  crown  could  tempt  me  to  a  dishon- 
orable action." 

"He  who  is  not  for  me,  is  against  me;  if  you 
don't  enter  into  my  system,  you  are  my  enemy ;  and 
thereby  I  have  the  right  of  persecuting  you  and  I 
shall  persecute  you." 

"  I  do  not  want  to  be  your  enemy.  Sire ;  I  cannot 
become  one  by  preserving  my  honor  and  my  virtue, 
by  refusing  to  give  up  my  reputation  for  a  throne ; 
and  that  this  disagreement  may  be  unknown,  let 
Your  Majesty  give  me  some  conspicuous  proof  of  his 
kindness ;  give  me  the  broad  ribbon  of  the  Legion  of 
Honor,  I  beg  of  you  I  " 

"No;  by  taking  my  colors  you  would  ruin  your 


THE  END   OF  THE   TEAR  1807.  313 

reputation ;  it  is  a  great  thing  to  be  opposed  to  me, 
and  it  is  a  fine  part  to  play ;  you  can  continue  it  for 
two  years  without  inconvenience,  but  then  you  will 
have  to  leave  Europe." 

"Much  sooner,  and  I  shall  prepare  to  leave  for 
America.  Only  the  entreaties  of  my  mother  and 
Josephine  have  kept  me  here  so  long." 

"  I  don't  ask  that  of  you  ;  my  propositions  are  not 
too  unreasonable  to  be  thought  over;  ponder  them, 
with  your  wife,  and  let  me  know  your  answer  within 
eighteen  days." 

At  the  end  of  the  interview  the  two  brothers 
parted  with  emotion.  Lucien  flung  himself  into 
his  brother's  arms,  saying  that  doubtless  he  was 
embracing  him  for  the  last  time,  and  left  for  Rome 
with  his  head  high.  He  was  obliged  to  yield  only  on 
one  point,  by  sending  to  Paris  his  oldest  daughter, 
Charlotte  Marie,  the  issue  of  his  first  marriage  with 
Christine  Boyer.  (She  was  born  at  Saint  Maximini 
in  February,  1795,  and  in  1815  married  Prince 
Marius  Gabrielli.)  But  the  young  girl  had  all  her 
father's  independent  spirit.  In  Paris  she  was  en- 
trusted to  the  care  of  her  grandmother,  Madame 
Letitia,  and  she  spoke  so  severely  about  the  Imperial 
family  in  her  letters,  which  were  opened,  that  she 
was  sent  back  to  her  father  in  Rome  almost  as  soon 
as  she  had  arrived  in  France.  As  for  the  idea  of  an 
annulment  of  the  marriage  or  a  divorce,  Lucien  ab- 
solutely rejected  it.  He  preferred  his  wife  to  all  the 
wealth,  all  the  honors,  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  world. 
Jerome  had  yielded.    Lucien  did  not  yield. 


314       COUBT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

Napoleon  left  Mantua  after  his  interview  with  his 
brother,  and  returned  to  Milan,  where,  December  17, 
he  witnessed  some  naval  sports  in  the  arena  of  the 
circus,  which  was  turned  into  a  lake.  There  too,  De- 
cember 20,  in  the  grand  hall  of  the  palace,  he  adopted 
Prince  Eugene  as  his  son  and  declared  him  his  heir  to 
the  crown  of  Italy.  At  the  same  time  he  issued  these 
two  decrees :  "  Wishing  to  give  especial  proof  of  our 
satisfaction  with  our  good  city  of  Venice,  we  have 
conferred,  and  by  these  letters-patent  here  present  do 
confer,  upon  our  dearly  loved  son,  Prince  Eugene 
Napoleon,  our  heir  presumptive  to  the  crown  of  Italy, 
the  title  of  Prince  of  Venice."  "Wishing  to  give 
especial  proof  of  our  satisfaction  with  our  good  city 
of  Bologna,  we  have  conferred,  and  by  these  letters- 
patent  here  present  do  confer,  the  title  of  Princess  of 
Bologna  upon  our  dearly  loved  granddaughter,  the 
Princess  Josephine."  Napoleon  left  Milan,  Decem- 
ber 24,  to  return  to  Paris  by  way  of  Turin. 

The  letters  which  the  Emperor  wrote  to  his  wife 
during  this  trip  were  very  empty  and  unimportant, 
wholly  unlike  those  he  had  written  in  1798.  Only 
a  few  need  be  quoted.  "  Milan,  November,  25,  1807. 
I  have  been  here,  my  dear,  two  days.  I  am  glad  I 
did  not  bring  you.  You  would  have  suffered  terribly 
crossing  Mount  Cenis  where  a  storm  detained  me 
twenty-four  hours.  I  found  Eugene  very  well ;  I  am 
much  pleased  with  him.  The  Princess  is  ill ;  I  went 
to  see  her  at  Monza ;  she  has  had  a  miscarriage,  but 
is  improving.     Good  by,  my  dear."     "Venice,  No- 


THE  END   OF  THE  YEAR  1807.  315 

vember  30,  1807.  I  have  your  letter  of  the  22d.  I 
have  been  for  two  days  in  Venice.  The  weather  is 
very  bad,  which  has  not  prevented  my  going  through 
the  lagoons  to  see  the  different  forts.  I  am  glad  to 
see  that  you  are  amusing  yourself  in  Paris.  The 
King  of  Bavaria  and  his  family  and  the  Princess 
Elisa  are  also  here.  After  December  2,  which  I 
shall  spend  here,  I  shall  be  on  my  way  back,  and  glad 
to  see  you.  Good  by,  my  dear."  "  Udine,  December 
11, 1807.  I  have  your  letter  of  the  3d,  and  I  see  you 
are  much  pleased  with  the  Jardin  des  Plantes.  I  am 
at  the  furthest  limit  of  my  journey;  it  is  possible 
that  I  shall  be  soon  in  Paris  where  I  shall  be  glad  to 
see  you  again.  The  weather  has  not  been  very  cold 
here,  but  very  wet.  I  have  taken  advantage  of  the 
last  fine  weather  of  the  season,  for  I  suppose  that  at 
Christmas  the  winter  will  be  here.  Good  by,  my 
dear.     Ever  Yours." 

During  the  Emperor's  absence  the  triumphal  return 
of  the  Guard  brought  a  slight  diversion  to  the  Em- 
press's anxiety  and  distress  of  mind.  Though  unhappy 
as  a  wife,  she  was  at  least  happy  as  a  Frenchwoman. 
She,  alas !  had  a  presentiment  of  divorce,  but  not  of 
the  invasion  and  dismemberment  of  France.  *  At  noon, 
November  25,  the  twelve  thousand  old  soldiers  of  the 
Guard,  bronzed,  covered  with  glorious  wounds,  some 
already  gray,  made  their  solemn  entry  into  Paris. 
An  arch  of  triumph,  broader  and  higher  than  the 
Porte  Saint  Martin,  had  been  built  at  the  gate  of 
La  Villette.  The  Prefect  of  the  Seine  and  the  muni- 
cipal authorities  there  awaited  the  veterans- 


316       COUBT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

The  prefect  welcomed  the  brave  soldiers :  "  Heroes 
of  Jena,  of  Eylau,  of  Friedland,"  he  said,  "  conquerors 
of  peace,  immortal  thanks  are  due  you,  for  the  coun- 
try you  have  conquered!  Your  own  country  will 
ever  remember  your  triumphs ;  your  names  will  be 
handed  down  to  the  remotest  posterity  on  bronze  and 
marble,  and  the  story  of  your  exploits,  firing  the 
courage  of  our  latest  descendants,  will  be  recalled, 
and  you,  by  the  example  you  have  set,  will  still  pro- 
tect this  vast  Empire  which  you  have  so  gloriously 
defended  with  your  valor.  .  .  .  Hail !  war-like  eagles, 
symbols  of  the  power  of  our  magnanimous  Emperor ; 
carry  over  all  the  earth,  with  his  great  name,  the 
glory  of  the  French  name,  and  may  the  crowns  with 
which  the  city  of  Paris  has  been  allowed  to  decorate 
you  be  everywhere  a  proof  at  once  august  and  for- 
midable of  the  union  of  monarch,  people,  and  army !  " 

Marshal  Bessieres,  who  was  in  command,  replied: 
"  The  most  perfect  harmony  will  always  exist  between 
the  populace  of  this  great  city  and  the  soldiers  of  the 
Imperial  guard,  and  if  their  eagles  should  march 
again,  recalling  their  oath  to  defend  them  to  the 
death,  they  would  remember  that  the  wreaths  adorn- 
ing them  redouble  the  obligation."  After  these  two 
speeches  the  standard  bearer  left  the  ranks  and  bent 
down  the  flags  on  which  the  magistrates  placed  golden 
crowns  bearing  this  inscription  :  "  The  city  of  Paris 
to  the  Grand  Army."  Then  the  troops  marched  past 
in  the  following  order :  the  fusiliers,  the  riflemen,  and 
grenadiers,  the  light  cavalry,  the   Mamelukes,  dra- 


THE  END   OF  THE   TEAR  1807.  317 

goons,  the  horse  grenadiers,  and  the  picked  body  of 
gens  des  armes.  While  they  passed  beneath  the  arch 
of  triumph,  a  large  band  and  chorus  performed  a  can- 
tata, with  words  by  Arnault  and  music  by  Mdhul. 
Passing  through  the  dense  crowds  that  lined  the  way, 
the  guard  came  to  the  Tuileries,  passing  beneath  the 
arch  of  the  Carrousel,  where  the  eagles  were  set  down. 
Then  it  entered  the  palace  garden,  leaving  its  arms 
there,  and  proceeded  to  the  Champs  Elys^es,  where  a 
banquet  for  twelve  thousand  men  was  laid.  The 
tables  were  arranged  under  tents  on  each  side  of  the 
Champs  Elys^es,  along  their  whole  extent,  from  the 
Place  de  la  Concorde  to  the  gate  de  I'Etoile.  The  tent 
of  the  staff  was  in  the  middle,  half-way  up.  Marshal 
Bessieres  proposed  a  toast  to  the  city  of  Paris,  and  the 
Prefect  of  the  Seine  one  to  the  Emperor  and  King, 
and  another  to  the  Grand  Army. 

The  next  day  there  were  three  performances  in 
every  theatre.  The  pit,  the  orchestra,  and  principal 
rows  of  boxes  and  galleries  were  reserved  for  the 
Imperial  Guard.  The  opera  gave  The  Triumph  of 
Trajan.  The  Frangais  gave  G-aston  and  Bayard. 
"  That  historical  play,"  said  the  Moniteur^  "  which 
presents  so  noble  and  true  a  picture  of  French  honor, 
of  warlike  victories,  of  chivalric  enthusiasm,  —  never 
did  this  tragedy  have  spectators  better  fitted  to  appre- 
ciate it."  In  the  minor  theatres  various  plays  on  the 
events  of  the  day  were  given.  The  performance  at 
the  opera  was  magnificent ;  the  Moniteur  described  it 
with  its  usual  lyrical  enthusiasm ;    "  This  picked  band 


318       COURT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

of  braves,  who,  in  their  swift  conquests,  in  their  dis- 
tant marches,  have  seen  such  diverse  climates,  visited 
so  many  shores,  and  in  so  few  months  have  seen  the 
springs  and  the  mouths  of  so  many  rivers,  know  also 
the  banks  of  the  Tiber ;  hence  in  the  scenery  they  at 
once  recognized  Rome;  in  the  triumphal  march,  in 
the  eager  throng,  in  the  vast  populace,  bursting 
through  the  ranks  of  the  Roman  soldiers,  and  flinging 
themselves  beneath  the  hoofs  of  their  horses,  they  saw 
the  touching  picture  of  the  reception  they  had  met 
the  day  before.  Their  emotion  baffles  description. 
The  Imperial  Guard  gazing  at  Trajan's  triumph  was 
itself  an  admirable  spectacle."  The  opera  was  but 
a  series  of  ingenious  allusions  to  Napoleon's  glory. 
Trajan  was  represented  as  burning,  with  his  own 
hand,  papers  containing  the  secret  of  a  conspiracy, 
recalling  Napoleon's  throwing  into  the  fire  the  letters 
by  which  he  could  have  ruined  M.  Hatzfeld;  and 
when  the  Roman  Emperor  appeared  in  his  chariot, 
drawn  by  four  white  horses,  it  was  not  Trajan  who 
was  applauded,  but  Napoleon. 

December  14,  at  the  Military  School,  Marshal  Bes- 
si^res,  to  celebrate  the  victories  of  the  Grand  Army, 
and  to  thank  the  city  of  Paris  for  its  reception  of  the 
Imperial  Guard,  gave  a  grand  entertainment  which 
the  Empress  honored  with  her  presence.  The  Inva- 
lides  was  brilliantly  illuminated  and  connected  with 
the  Military  School  by  a  long  row  of  lights.  In  the 
middle  of  the  Champ  de  Mars  was  a  vast  hemisphere, 
on  which  was  a  pedestal  holding  a  colossal  statue  of 


THE  END  OF  THE  TEAR  1807.  319 


the  Emperor,  surrounded  by  allegoric  figures.  The 
trophies  set  aside  for  each  one  of  the  Grand  Army- 
were  marked  with  the  corps  number.  The  Imperial 
Guard  was  under  arms,  and  formed  an  interesting 
part  of  the  spectators,  and  of  the  spectacle  as  well. 
Bengal  fires  lit  up  the  warlike  scene.  The  heights 
across  the  Seine  were  also  ablaze  with  lights.  The 
Empress  arrived  at  the  Military  School  at  about 
eight  in  the  evening.  The  entertainment  began  with 
a  ballet  performed  by  dancers  from  the  opera.  Then 
there  were  fke works.  The  Champ  de  Mars  was  one 
sea  of  flame,  and  the  Imperial  Guard  fired  blank 
cartridges  for  half  an  hour.  Then  there  was  a  grand 
ball  with  a  fine  supper ;  after  which  the  dances  con- 
tinued till  morning. 

This  worldly  and  military  entertainment,  at  which 
the  Empress  queen  appeared  in  all  her  glory,  may 
be  regarded  as  the  crowning  point  of  her  splendors. 
And  here,  at  the  end  of  180T,  we  close  this  study. 
We  have  left  to  narrate  in  a  final  volume  only  the 
last  seven  years  of  Josephine's  life.  We  have  already 
recounted  nearly  the  whole  career  of  this  attractive 
woman,  of  this  justly  famous  sovereign.  We  have 
descibed  her  infancy  in  Martinique,  in  her  modest, 
patriarchal  home,  where  she  was  born,  June  23, 1763. 
We  have  admired  her  as  a  young  girl,  loving  flowers, 
music,  and  nature,  beneath  the  clear  sky  of  the  An- 
tilles, amid  banana  and  orange  trees,  tropical  flowers, 
and  birds  of  paradise,  where  the  fortune-telling  negress 
said  to  her :  "  You  will  be  a  queen."     We  have  seen 


320       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

her  in  France,  marrying,  December  13,  1779,  the 
young  and  brilliant  Viscount  Alexandre  de  Beauhar- 
nais,  by  whom  she  had  one  son,  the  future  Viceroy 
of  Italy,  and  one  daughter,  the  future  Queen  of  Hol- 
land. We  have  seen  her  going  through  that  period 
of  illusions,  so  well  called  the  Golden  Age  of  the 
Revolution,  receiving  in  her  drawing-room  in  the  rue 
de  rUniversit^  the  flower  of  the  liberal  nobility  and 
leaders  of  the  Constituent  Assembly,  then  suddenly 
passing  from  the  Golden  to  the  Iron  Age,  shuddering 
at  the  dangers  to  which  war,  and  above  all  the  Terror 
exposed  her  husband,  the  general  in  chief  of  the 
Army  of  the  Rhine,  the  leader  of  the  democracy, 
rewarded  for  his  patriotism  and  his  devotion  to  the 
Republic  by  the  scaffold.  She  herself,  during  her 
husband's  captivity,  was  imprisoned  in  the  Carmes 
April,  1794 ;  for  one  hundred  and  eight  days  of  inex- 
pressible anguish  and  torment,  she  occupied  in  this 
dungeon  the  Room  of  the  Swords  as  it  was  called, 
because  the  walls  still  bore  traces  of  the  three  swords 
which  the  men  of  September  had  leaned  against  them 
after  the  massacre  of  the  one  hundred  and  twenty 
priests  who  were  in  the  prison.  Beauharnais,  the  man 
of  the  old  regime,  who  had  embraced  the  new  ideas 
with  so  much  ardor,  this  grand  lord  who  got  himself 
treated  like  a  sans-culotte,  was  guillotined  four  days 
before  Robespierre,  whose  death  would  have  saved 
him.  His  young  widow  left  prison,  reduced  to  ex- 
treme want,  and  took  refuge  with  her  father-in-law, 
at  Fontainebleau ;  then  she  made  her  appearance  in 


THE  END  OF  THE  TEAR  1807,  821 

the  motley  society  which  first  showed  itself  in 
the  drawing-room  of  Madame  Tallien,  then  at  the 
Luxembourg  under  Barras.  Rivalling  Madame  Tal- 
lien and  Madame  Rdcamier  in  popularity,  she  smiled 
through  her  tears,  like  Andromache  in  Homer.  Her 
means  becoming  greater,  thanks  to  the  support  of 
men  in  authority,  she  bought  in  the  rue  Chantereine, 
afterwards  rue  de  la  Victoire,  a  little  house  belonging 
to  Talma,  the  tragedian.  There  she  received  with 
her  customary  courtesy  the  few  survivors  of  French 
aristocracy  who  said  behind  well-closed  doors :  "  Let 
us  talk  about  the  old  court;  let  us  take  a  turn  at 
Versailles." 

Bonaparte,  commander  of  the  Army  of  the  Interior, 
after  the  13th  Vend^miaire,  when  he  saved  the  ex- 
piring Convention,  had  just  ordered  the  disarmament 
of  the  sections  and  the  delivery  of  all  arms  found  in 
private  houses,  when  a  boy  of  fourteen  called  upon 
him  to  ask  to  have  back  the  sword  of  his  father,  who 
had  commanded  the  armies  of  the  Republic.  This 
boy  was  Eugene  de  Beauharnais,  afterwards  Viceroy 
of  Italy.  Bonaparte,  touched  by  this  action,  received 
him  graciously.  The  next  day  Madame  de  Beauhar- 
nais called  upon  him  to  thank  him.  He  was  much 
struck  by  her  charms  and  proposed  to  her;  she  ac- 
cepted him  and  they  were  married  March  9,  1796. 
The  Viscountess  of  Beauharnais  became  Citizeness 
Bonaparte.  No  sooner  married,  than  the  young  hus- 
band, who  was  only  twenty-six,  tore  himself  from  her 
arms  and  started  for  the  army  of  Italy.     Then  Napo- 


322       COUBT  OF  THE  EMPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

leon's  love  for  JosepHne  was  much  greater  than  hers 
for  him.  It  was  he  who  was  jealous,  he  who  wrote 
burning  letters;  he  it  was  who  was  all  enthusiasm, 
ardor,  and  ablaze  with  passion.  It  was  only  with 
reluctance  that  Josephine  decided  to  leave  Paris, 
where  she  was  happy,  but  in  Italy  she  found  a 
real  royalty.  At  Milan  she  took  possession  of  the 
Serbelloni  Palace,  where  she  did  the  honors  most 
admirably  and  received  the  homage  of  the  proud 
aristocracy  of  Milan.  She  followed  her  husband  to 
the  war,  for  he  could  not  bear  to  be  sei3arated  from 
her,  and  one  day  when,  beset  with  dangers,  she  was 
crying,  he  exclaimed :  "  Wurmser  shall  pay  dearly 
for  the  tears  he  causes  you."  After  Arcole,  Madame 
Bonaparte  resembled  a  sovereign.  She  singularly 
aided  her  husband  to  play  the  double  part  which  was 
soon  to  carry  him  to  the  highest  rank.  When  it 
was  a  question  of  repelling  royalism,  the  young  con- 
queror relied  on  men  like  Augereau;  when  it  was 
necessary  to  attract  men  of  the  old  regime,  Josephine 
was  the  bond  of  union  between  him  and  the  French 
or  Italian  aristocracy.  On  her  return  to  Paris,  June 
2,  1798,  she  shared  her  husband's  glories.  The  little 
house  in  the  rue  Chantereine  became  more  famous 
than  the  grandest  palaces. 

Bonaparte  left  for  Egypt,  embarking  at  Toulon, 
May  19, 1798,  after  taking  tender  leave  of  Josephine. 
During  her  husband's  absence,  she  bought  the  estate 
of  Malmaison,  an  unknown  spot  which  soon  became 
famous.      She  skilfully  defended  Bonaparte's  inter- 


THE  END   OF  THE   YEAR  1807.  323 

ests  with  the  Directory,  and  in  her  drawing-room 
met  celebrities  of  every  kind.  But  malicious  persons 
soon  sent  to  Egypt  hostile  rumors,  and  her  impetuous 
husband,  wild  with  jealous  wrath,  spoke  of  nothing 
but  separation  and  divorce.  He  reached  Paris  unex- 
pectedly, October  16,  1799,  and  not  finding  his  wife 
there,  started  off  to  meet  her  on  a  different  road 
from  hers,  wild  with  jealousy.  His  brothers,  Joseph- 
ine's enemies,  deceived  him,  and  at  first  he  refused 
to  see  her  again ;  but,  softened  by  the  supplications 
of  Eugene  and  Hortense  de  Beauharnais,  he  pardoned 
his  wife  and  opened  his  door  to  her;  she  defended 
herself,  and  he  let  himself  be  convinced,  so  that, 
instead  of  a  divorce,  there  was  a  complete  reconcilia- 
tion. Josephine  was  of  use  to  her  husband  in  the 
preparations  for  the  18th  Brumaire ;  she  helped  him 
to  lull  the  vigilance  of  the  Republicans  and  to  rise 
to  the  highest  rank. 

Citizeness  Bonaparte  had  become  the  wife  of  the 
First  Consul.  Like  the  ladies  of  the  old  regime,  she 
was  addressed  as  Madame  until  she  should  be  called 
Empress,  or  Your  Majesty.  She  was  at  the  head  of 
the  Consular  Court,  rich  in  youth,  glory,  and  hope. 
At  the  Tuileries  she  took  possession  of  the  apart- 
ments of  Marie  Antoinette.  At  Malmaison  she  en- 
joyed the  pleasures  of  the  country.  The  hero  of 
Marengo  looked  upon  her  as  his  good  angel,  his  good 
genius.  Their  happiness  was  interrupted  by  the 
infernal  machine,  but  this  gloomy  incident  was  soon 
forgotten.     Under    Josephine's    guidance     Parisian 


324       COURT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  JOSEPHINE. 

society  soon  resumed  its  former  brilliancy.  Mon- 
archical customs  reappeared.  The  Concordat  effected 
a  reconciliation  of  the  church  with  the  government, 
and  the  wife  of  the  First  Consul,  surrounded  by  a 
real  court,  heard  a  Te  Deum  in  the  rood-loft  of  Notre 
Dame.  At  heart  she  was  a  Royalist  by  her  memories 
and  her  feelings,  although  she  was  made  by  fate  an 
Empress.  The  crown,  so  far  from  tempting  her, 
filled  her  with  fear.  She  yearned  to  descend  as  her 
husband  yearned  to  rise.  The  proclamation  of  the 
Consulate  for  life,  the  prelude  of  the  Empire,  filled 
her  with  gloom  and  apprehension.  Neither  the  pomp 
of  Saint  Cloud,  nor  the  triumphal  trip  in  Belgium, 
robbed  her  of  her  wise  and  modest  ideas.  She  much 
preferred  Malmaison  to  any  splendid  palace,  and 
looked  back  with  regret  at  the  time  when  she  was 
simply  Citizeness  Bonaparte.  Grandeur,  so  far  from 
turning  her  head,  only  made  her  less  ambitious.  She 
gave  her  husband  excellent  advice,  which,  unfortu- 
nately, he  did  not  follow.  Had  he  listened  to  her, 
he  would  not  have  had  the  Duke  of  Enghien  killed, 
he  would  have  been  modest  in  good  fortune,  and 
would  have  remained  the  first  citizen  of  a  great 
Republic. 

Crowned  at  Notre  Dame  by  the  hands  of  Napo- 
leon, Josephine  played  a  sovereign's  part  with  as 
much  ease  as  if  she  had  been  born  on  the  steps  of  the 
throne.  The  greatest  names  of  the  old  regime  fig- 
ured in  her  house.  She  adorned  magnificent  festivi- 
ties by  her  presence.     In  Italy,  whither  she  accompa- 


THE  END   OF  THE  TEAR  1807,  325 

nied  her  husband,  she  received  as  Queen  the  same 
homage  she  had  received  as  Empress.  Yet,  amid  all 
this  splendor,  she  was  not  happy.  The  terrible  wars 
in  which  Napoleon  engaged  filled  her  with  anxiety. 
At  Strassburg,  during  the  Austerlitz  campaign,  at 
Mayence  during  that  of  Jena  and  that  of  Poland, 
she  was  a  victim  of  the  greatest  distress  of  mind  and 
nervous  terror.  Then,  too,  her  husband's  infidelities 
filled  her  with  despair.  Towards  the  end  of  1807 
the  spectre  of  divorce  arose  before  her.  The  loss  of 
a  crown  would  be  a  trifling  matter,  but  the  sight  of 
another  woman  reigning  as  lawful  wife  over  Napo- 
leon's heart  was  a  thought  to  which  she  could  not 
reconcile  herself.  From  that  moment  she  knew  no 
peace  or  happiness.  She  was  like  a  convicted  crimi- 
nal awaiting  sentence  at  any  moment,  and  she  had  to 
hide  her  terrible  grief  from  every  one.  She  always 
imagined  that  in  the  homage  paid  her  by  force  of 
habit,  there  was  something  false  and  ironical.  She 
thought  of  herself  only  as  disgraced,  betrayed,  repu- 
diated. All  that  was  left  of  her  crown  was  its  mark 
on  her  brow.  Few  peasant  women  in  their  huts  were 
ever  as  thoroughly  unhappy  as  was  this  sovereign  in 
her  palace. 

We  have  seen  Josephine  in  her  springtime,  in  her 
summer;  it  remains  for  us  to  describe  only  the 
autumn  of  this  wonderful  and  melancholy  career. 
This  last  study  will  be  profoundly  sad.  "  In  the  sea- 
son which  despoils  nature,"  said  Madame  Swetchine, 
"there  is  no  breeze,  no  puff  of  air  so  light  that  it 


326       COURT  OF  THE  E3fPBESS  JOSEPHINE. 

fails  to  detach  the  leaf  from  the  tree  that  bore  it.  In 
the  autumn  of  the  heart  there  is  no  movement  that 
does  not  carry  away  a  happiness  or  a  hope."  The 
great  afflictions  of  Josephine's  later  years  were  the 
divorce,  the  invasion,  and  the  long  agony.  Driven 
from  the  Tuileries  forever,  she  took  refuge  at  Mal- 
maison  one  rainy,  cold,  December  night,  recalling, 
doubtless,  the  starlit  evenings  when  the  conqueror 
of  Italy  sought  calm  and  happiness  in  that  favorite 
spot.  And  after  draining  the  cup  of  bitterness,  the 
deserted  wife  exclaimed:  "It  sometimes  seems  to 
me  as  if  I  were  dead  and  there  was  nothing  left  of 
me  except  a  sort  of  vague  power  of  feeling  that  I  no 
longer  exist."  She  could  truly  say  with  Queen  Mar- 
garet of  Navarre:  "I  have  borne  more  than  my 
share  of  the  weariness  which  is  the  common  lot  of 
man."  A  still  harder  trial  awaited  her.  Napoleon 
was  unhappy,  and  she  was  forbidden  to  comfort  him  I 
He  was  exiled,  and  she  was  forbidden  to  follow  him  I 
The  Empire  she  had  seen  so  magnificent  she  was  to 
see  conquered,  invaded,  dismembered.  No  one  was 
to  mourn  the  woes  of  her  country  more  than  she. 
She  was  to  die  of  grief,  and  when.  May  29,  1814,  she 
had  breathed  her  last  after  uttering  in  her  death 
agony  these  three  words  which  sum  up  the  anguish 
of  her  soul :  "  Napoleon !  Elba !  Marie  Louise  ! " 
Mademoiselle  Avrillon,  the  First  Lady  of  her  Bed- 
chamber, was  to  say,  "I  have  seen  the  Empress 
Josephine's  sleeplessness  and  her  terrible  dreams.  I 
have  known  her  to  pass  whole  days  buried  in  the 


THE  END   OF  THE  TEAB  1807.  327 

gloomiest  thought.  I  know  what  I  have  seen  and 
heard,  and  I  am  sure  that  grief  killed  her ! "  "Was 
there  ever  a  life  of  greater  vicissitudes?  It  was  a 
career  full  of  smiles  and  tears,  presenting  every  con- 
trast of  light  and  shade,  of  joy  and  grief,  reproduc- 
ing all  the  splendor  and  all  the  misery  that  can  be 
crowded  into  human  existence  I  It  was  a  career,  as 
fascinating  as  it  was  strange,  which  could  only  have 
been  seen  in  those  pathetic  and  disturbed  epochs,  when 
one  surprise  follows  another,  and  the  actors  are  per- 
haps even  more  astonished  than  the  spectators  at  the 
shifting  scenes  and  the  incidents  of  the  drama,  in 
which  events  always  take  an  unexpected  turn,  when 
men  and  things  suffer  shocks  unknown  to  previous 
generations,  and  when  history  reads  like  the  wildest 
romance. 


INDEX. 


Abrant^s,  Duchess  of,  describes  the 
fear  caused  by  Napoleon,  85 ;  de- 
scribes Josephine's  charms,  106. 

Alexander,  meeting  of,  with  Napo- 
leon on  the  Niemen,  274. 

Almoner,  Grand,  the  functions  of, 
90 ;  of  the  Empress,  102. 

Augusta,  Princess  of  Bavaria,  her 
marriage  with  Eugene  de  Beau- 
harnais,  199 ;  her  appearance  and 
character,  191. 

Aristocracy,  Napoleon's  regard  for 
the,  97. 

Austerlitz,  a  consolidation  of  the 
empire,  153;  the  victory  of,  167; 
the  losses  of  the  Russians  at,  169. 

Bacciocchi,  Felix,  made  Prince  of 
Lucca,  147. 

Baden,  the  Elector  of,  his  devotion 
to  Napoleon,  176. 

Baden,  Prince  of,  interview  of,  with 
Napoleon,  25;  project  of  his  mar- 
riage with  Stephanie  de  Beauhar- 
nais,  200  et  seq.;  his  mother's 
opposition,  201;  his  marriage, 
206. 

Baptism  of  Hortense's  second  son 
by  the  Pope,  121. 

Bavaria,  Elector  of,  his  letter  to 
Talleyrand,  174. 

Beauharnais,  Eugene  de,  appointed 
Napoleon's  viceroy  in  Italy,  146; 
the  rumor  of  his  marriage  with 
the  Princess  Augusta  of  Bavaria, 
180;  summoned  to  Munich  by 
Napoleon,  186;  his  appearance 
and  character,  189;  marries  Au- 
gusta of  Bavaria,  190;  becomes 


Napoleon  Eugene  of  France,  190; 
adopted  by  Napoleon  and  de- 
clared heir  to  the  crown  of  Italy, 
314;  his  first  interview  with  Na- 
poleon described,  34. 

Beauharnais,  Hortense  de,  her 
beauty,  77.  See  Madame  Louis 
Bonaparte. 

Beauharnais,  Stephanie  de,  her  ori- 
gin and  character,  203 ;  her  mar- 
riage to  the  Prince  of  Baden,  206. 

Berlin,  Napoleon's  entry  into,  229. 

Bessieres, Marshal,  grand  entertain- 
ment of,  at  the  Invalides,  318. 

Bonaparte  family,  the,  their  pride 
and  irritability,  5. 

Bonaparte,  Madame  Letitia,  her 
sagacity,  6 ;  not  present  at  Napo- 
leon's coronation,  34 ;  at  Fontaine- 
bleau,  291. 

Bonaparte,  Elisa,  "the  Semiramis 
of  Lucca,"  148. 

Bonaparte,  Jerome,  his  marriage  to 
Miss  Paterson,  128,  282;  the  mar- 
riage annulled  at  Napoleon's 
order,  129  et  seq.,  283;  obeys 
Napoleon's  command  and  is  rec- 
onciled with  him,  132;  his  mar- 
riage with  Catherine  of  Wiirtem- 
berg,  282  et  seq.,  285 ;  made  King 
of  Westphalia  by  the  treaty  of 
Tilsitt,  275,  285. 

Bonaparte,  Joseph,  anxious  that 
Napoleon  should  marry  a  foreign 
princess,  31;  his  quarrel  with 
Napoleon  as  to  the  dignities  of 
the  Bonapartes,  32. 

Bonaparte,  Louis,  his  character  and 
his  relations  with  his  wife,  211  et 


330 


INDEX, 


seq. ;  made  King  of  Holland,  214 ; 
his  address  to  Napoleon  accept- 
ing the  royalty,  217;  installed  at 
the  Hague,  219 ;  his  jealousy  and 
fault-finding,  260. 

Bonaparte,  Madame  Louis,  her  char- 
acter, 211 ;  her  sadness  at  leaving 
France,  218 ;  her  unhappiness  as 
Queen,  220,  260 ;  loses  her  oldest 
son,  264;  her  grief,  265;  goes  to 
Paris,  269 ;  her  continued  infelic- 
ity and  ill  health,  289,  298. 

Bonaparte,  Lucien,  interview  of, 
with  Napoleon  at  Mantua,  309; 
refuses  to  divorce  his  wife,  313. 

Brienne,  Madame  de,  125. 

Calendar,  Gregorian,  substituted  for 
that  of  the  Republic,  Jan.  1, 1806, 
194. 

Campan,  Madame,  her  pupils,  77; 
describes  Stephanie  de  Beauhar- 
nais's  character,  204. 

Canisy,  Madame  de,  her  beauty, 
77. 

Caprara,  Cardinal,  receives  the 
cross  of  the  Legion  of  Honor,  17, 
136. 

Caroline,  Queen  of  Bavaria,  objects 
to  the  marriage  of  the  Princess 
Augusta  to  Eugene  de  Beauhar- 
nais,  186. 

Catherine  of  Wiirtemberg,  her  per- 
son and  character,  285;  married 
to  Jerome  Bonaparte,  286  et  seq. 

Ceremonies,  Grand  Master  of,  his 
duties,  96. 

Chamberlain,  Grand,  duties  of,  95 ; 
the  first,  of  Josephine,  General 
Nansouty,  104. 

Constant,  Napoleon's  valet,  quoted, 
5;  relates  the  particulars  of  Na- 
poleon's passion  for  the  noble 
Polish  lady,  248. 

Coronation,  the  rehearsals  for,  41 ; 
preparations  for,  at  Notre  Dame, 
44;  the  Imperial  procession  of, 
54;  ceremony  of,  56  et  seq. ;  fes- 
tivities following,  67,  70. 


Coronation  jewels,  description  of, 

40. 
Coronation  robes  of  Napoleon  and 

Josephine,  50,  54. 
Court  of  Napoleon,  sumptuousness 

of,  2;    minute    etiquette    of,   8; 

code  of  etiquette  at,  88  et  seq. ; 

oflScers  of,  90 ;  at  Fontainebleau, 

splendor  of,  290;  contrasted  with 

that  of  Napoleon  III.,  295. 

David,  his  picture  of  Napoleon's 

coronation,  34,  65. 
Davout,  Marshal,  enthusiasm   of, 

230. 
Duchatel,  Madame,  beauty  of,  104. 

Equerry,  Grand,  functions  of,  92. 
Etiquette  at  Napoleon's  court,  8, 

88  et  seq. 
Eylau,  the  battle  of,  250. 

Fontainebleau  prepared  for  the  re- 
ception of  Pius  VII.,  34;  descrip- 
tion of,  37. 

Fouche  addresses  Josephine  on  the 
subject  of  a  divorce,  300,  301. 

Francis  II.  assumes  the  Imperial 
title,  21 ;  compelled  to  leave  Vi- 
enna, 183. 

Frederick  the  Great,  Napoleon's 
visit  to  his  tomb,  228 ;  ceremony 
of  carrying  his  sword  to  the 
Tuileries,  266. 

Friedland,  the  victory  of,  272. 

Gazani,  Madame,  105. 
Genoa  made  a  French  department, 
148 ;  beautiful  festival  at,  149. 

Hatzfeld,  Prince  von,  saved  by 
Napoleon's  clemency,  232,  321. 

Honor,  maid  of,  to  the  Empress, 
102, 103. 

Hortense,  see  Madame  Louis  Bona- 
parte. 

Imperial  Guard,  the  triumphal  re- 
turn of,  315;  present  at  a  grand 
entertainment,  319. 


INDEX, 


831 


Imperial  robes,  Napoleon's,  50,  54. 
Isabey  designs  the  ceremonial  of 
the  coronation,  41. 

Jena,  the  victory  of,  226. 

Josephine,  her  court  and  attend- 
ants, 11;  admits  to  General  de 
Segur  her  repugnance  at  first  to 
ally  herself  with  Bonaparte,  14; 
the  life  of  the  Duke  of  Polignac 
saved  at  her  request,  16  ;  impres- 
sion created  by  her  beauty,  18; 
travels  to  Mayence,  22 ;  her  voy- 
age on  the  Rhine,  23 ;  her  solici- 
tude with  regard  to  the  corona- 
tion, 31 ;  hated  by  the  Bonapartes, 
31 ;  prevails  upon  the  Pope  to  in- 
sist on  a  religious  marriage,  39 ; 
her  coronation  jewels,  40;  inter- 
cedes for  Lucien  Bonaparte,  46; 
united  to  Napoleon  by  Cardinal 
Fesch  before  the  coronation,  48 ; 
costume  of,  for  the  coronation, 
50;  crowned  by  Napoleon,  69; 
gold  toilet  service  presented  to, 
by  the  city  of  Paris,  79  ;  her  table 
at  the  Tuileries,  84 ;  her  house- 
hold described,  102;  apartment 
of,  105;  her  charms  and  fine 
qualities,  106;  her  extravagance 
and  generosity,  108;  made  un- 
happy by  Napoleon's  gallantries, 
110;  shallowness  of  her  charac- 
ter, 113 ;  her  veneration  for  Pius 
VIL,  120;  holds  a  reception  at 
Lyons,  126 ;  witnesses  the  corona- 
tion at  Milan,  138  et  seq. ;  mater- 
nal love  her  strongest  feeling, 
150;  accompanies  Napoleon  to 
Strassburg,  154 ;  her  unhappiness 
in  war-time,  162;  her  trip  through 
Germany  a  series  of  ovations,  175 ; 
enters  Carlsruhe,  177;  her  prog- 
ress to  Munich,  178  et  seq. ;  ailing 
at  Munich,  183;  her  unhappiness 
at  parting  with  her  daughter, 
221 ;  letters  of,  to  her,  221  et  seq. ; 
leaves  Saint  Cloud  with  Napoleon 
for  Mayence,  223;   tortured  by 


jealousy  and  deferred  hope,  234; 
compelled  to  return  to  Paris,  242; 
beloved  in  France,  243 ;  her  recep- 
tion by  the  great  bodies  of  the 
State,  244 ;  letters  of,  to  Hortense 
after  the  death  of  her  son,  271, 
277;  her  secret  sorrow,  298;  ap- 
proached by  Fouche  on  the  sub- 
ject of  a  divorce,  300;  present  at 
an  entertainment  given  by  Mar- 
shal Bessi^res,  319;  her  career 
reviewed,  319 ;  her  marriage  with 
Napoleon,  321;  her  life  there- 
after, 320  et  seq. 

Josephine  Maximilienne  Augusta, 
Eugene's  daughter,  birth  of, 
257. 

Junot  meets  Jerome  Bonaparte  in 
Spain,  130. 

La  Bruyfere  quoted,  1. 

Ladies  of  the  Palace,  the,  102, 

Lannes,  Madame,  103. 

La  Pagerie,  Madame  Tascher  de, 
death  of,  307. 

La  Rochefoucauld,  Madame  de,  the 
Empress's  maid  of  honor,  102. 

Lavalette,  Josephine's  lady  of  the 
bedchamber,  102. 

Leroy  makes  the  coronation  robes, 
40. 

Lome'nie,  Madame  de,  125. 

Louise,  Queen  of  Prussia,  her  in- 
trepidity, 221 ;  her  interview  with 
Napoleon,  276. 

Mahib  Effendi,  Ambassador  of  the 
Sultan,  presented  to  Napoleon, 
215. 

Marshal, Grand,  of  the  Palace,  func- 
tions of,  90. 

Marshals  of  the  Empire,  their  grand 
entertainment  to  Napoleon,  82. 

Master  of  the  Wardrobe,  duties  of, 
95. 

Maximilian  Joseph,  Elector  of 
Bavaria,  181;  his  history  and 
amiable  character,  181. 

Mc'lito,  Mlot  de,  quoted,  13. 


S32  ' 


INDEX. 


Metternich,  Prince,  on  Napoleon's 
desire  to  bring  the  aristocrats 
to  his  side,  15 ;  communicates  to 
von  Stadion  the  cause  of  Joseph- 
ine's sorrow,  298. 

Milan,  celebration  of  Napoleon's 
coronation  as  King  of  Italy  in, 
138  et  seq. 

Moreau,  interest  in  his  trial,  15. 

Murat,  Madame,  prevails  on  Napo- 
leon to  make  her  a  princess,  11 ; 
intercedes  in  favor  of  the  Mar- 
quis de  Riviere,  16. 

Murat,  Marshal,  gives  a  breakfast 
to  the  Princes  of  Germany  before 
the  coronation,  49. 

Napoleon  adopts  the  formalities  of 
an  Imperial  court,  9;  surprised 
at  the  leniency  of  Moreau' s  sen- 
tence, 15;  gives  the  oath  of  the 
Legion  of  Honor  at  the  Invalides, 
17;  condemned  to  uninterrupted 
success,  18;  makes  a  journey  to 
the  tomb  of  Charlemagne,  20; 
surrounded  by  a  court  of  German 
Princes,  25;  his  art  of  keeping 
himself  before  the  public,  27; 
lauded  by  the  clergy,  30;  an- 
nounces that  Josephine  is  to  be 
crowned,  31;  his  quarrel  and 
reconciliation  with  Joseph  Bona- 
parte, 33;  meets  Pius  VII.  and 
settles  the  question  of  etiquette, 
35;  coronation  jewels,  40;  de- 
clines to  receive  the  communion 
before  the  coronation,  42;  gifts 
of,  to  Notre  Dame  for  the  coro- 
nation, 46;  the  Imperial  robes, 
50;  his  progress  to  the  Cathedral, 
54;  crowns  himself  and  Joseph- 
ine, 59;  takes  the  political 
oath,  62;  applauds  David's  paint- 
ing of  the  coronation,  65 ;  adula- 
tion of,  68;  presents  the  eagles 
to  the  army,  70,  73;  attends  a 
state  dinner  at  the  Tuileries,  74; 
desires  to  give  the  beginning  of 
his  reign  an  air  of  splendor,  76 ; 


magnificent  entertainment  to,  at 
the  Hotel  de  Ville,  79;  table- 
service  presented  to,  by  the  city  of 
Paris,  80 ;  blasphemous  inscription 
to,  81 ;  statue  to,  raised  by  the  Leg- 
islative Body,  81 ;  entertainment 
to,  by  the  Marshals,  82 ;  awe  of, 
85 ;  attaches  great  importance  to 
etiquette,  87 ;  functionaries  of  his 
household,  90  et  seq. ;  his  aides- 
de-camp,  96 ;  his  court  more  aris- 
tocratic than  that  of  Louis  XVIIL, 
97;  ceremony  of  his  table,  98; 
the  Imperial  apartments,  99;  im- 
provement in  his  health  and  ap- 
pearance, 111;  a  foe  to  outward 
immorality.  111;  but  given  to 
amours,  112;  his  remarks  on 
woman's  position,  112;  his  regard 
for  Pius  VII.,  119 ;  on  his  way  to 
Milan  to  be  crowned  King  of  Ita- 
ly, 124;  revisits  the  scenes  of  his 
youth,  125;  and  the  battle-field  of 
Marengo,  128;  is  reconciled  with 
Jerome  Bonaparte,  128 ;  declares 
to  Miot  de  Melito  his  intention  to 
divide  Europe  among  his  lieuten- 
ants, 132;  his  letter  to  Jerome, 
133;  more  Italian  than  French, 
135;  had  the  head  of  a  Caesar, 
135;  visits  Milan  cathedral  with 
Josephine,  136;  the  coronation  at 
Milan,  138  et  seq.;  his  gaiety 
after  the  ceremony,  141 ;  hears  of 
the  coalition  against  him  and  re- 
turns to  Paris,  151;  leaves  to 
take  command  of  his  army,  154 ; 
his  letters  to  Josephine,  154  et 
seq.,  158,  162;  his  military  suc- 
cesses, 156;  the  capitulation  of 
Ulm,  159;  his  delight  in  war,  160; 
at  Vienna,  163;  his  peril  during 
a  reconnoissance,  165 ;  Austerlitz 
his  greatest  triumph,  167;  letter 
of,  to  Josephine  after  Austerlitz, 
168;  letters  of,  to  Josephine  at 
Munich,  183 ;  conditions  imposed 
by,  at  Pressburg,  184;  enters 
Munich,  184;  letters  summoning 


INDEX, 


333 


Prince  Eugene  to  Munich,  186; 
overcomes  the  Queen  of  Bavaria's 
objections  to  the  marriage  of  her 
daughter  to  Prince  Eugene,  187; 
letter  of  to  the  Princess  Augusta, 
191;  returns  to  France,  192;  cele- 
bration on  his  return  to  Paris, 
194;  eulogies  of  his  bishops,  19G; 
adopts  Stephanie  Beauharnais, 
205 ;  makes  his  family  kings  and 
princes,  210 ;  makes  Louis  Bona- 
parte King  of  Holland  against  his 
will,  214 ;  his  address  to  the  new 
king,  218 ;  leaves  France  for  his 
armies,  223;  letters  of,  to  Joseph- 
ine, 224;  his  habits  on  a  cam- 
paign, 225;  his  victory  at  Jena, 
226 ;  visits  the  tomb  of  Frederick 
the  Great,  228;  enters  Berlin,  229; 
his  lack  of  generosity  toward 
Queen  Louise,  221;  letters  of,  to 
Josephine,  231  et  seq. ;  his  letter 
to  the  King  of  Prussia,  232;  at 
Posen,  234;  hardships  of  the 
campaign,  238;  his  infatuation 
for  a  noble  Polish  lady,  248;  de- 
scribes the  battle  of  Eylau  to 
Josephine,  250;  at  Osterode,  254; 
his  letters  to  Josephine,  256  et 
seq.;  spends  three  weeks  at  the 
castle  of  Frankenstein  with  Ma- 
dame v.,  258;  letter  of,  to  Louis 
Bonaparte,  261;  his  affection  for 
the  oldest  son  of  Louis,  262 ;  let- 
ter of,  to  Hortense,  270;  an- 
nounces to  Josephine  the  victory 
of  Friedland,  273;  his  meeting 
with  the  Emperor  of  Russia  on 
the  Niemen,  274;  his  interview 
with  Queen  Louise,  276;  signs 
the  peace  of  Tilsitt,  277 ;  returns 
to  Saint  Cloud,  278;  addresses  of 
the  great  bodies  of  the  State  to 
him,  279;  Charlemagne  out- 
stripped, 281;  infatuated  by  his 
fortune,  281;  quarrels  with  the 
Pope  regarding  Jerome's  divorce, 
284;  splendor  of  the  court  at 
Fontainebleau,  291;  awe  inspired 


by  him,  294 ;  his  court  contrasted 
with  that  of  Napoleon  III.,  295; 
denies  having  ordered  Fouche  to 
address  Josephine  on  the  subject 
of  a  divorce,  302;  his  letter  to 
Fouche,  304;  leaves  for  Italy, 
308;  anxious  to  marry  Luciea 
with  Marie  Louise  of  Spain,  309; 
has  a  secret  interview  with  him 
and  tries  to  make  him  divorce 
his  wife,  310;  adopts  Prince 
Eugene  as  his  son  and  makes 
him  heir  to  the  crown  of  Italy, 
314;  letter  of,  to  Josephine,  315; 
his  first  meeting  with  Josephine 
recalled,  320. 

Napoleon,  Charles,  oldest  son  of 
Louis  Bonaparte,  Napoleon's  af- 
fection for,  262 ;  his  death,  264. 

Napoleon  III.,  court  of,  contrasted 
with  that  of  Napoleon  I.,  295. 

Ney,  Madame,  103. 

Niemen,  meeting  of  the  emperors 
on  a  raft  in  the,  274. 

Notre  Dame  prepared  for  the  coro- 
nation, 44. 

Otto,  Count,  letter  of,  to  Talleyrand 
on  the  rumor  of  Eugene's  mar- 
riage, 180, 191. 

Pages  of  the  Imperial  court,  duties 
of,  93. 

Paris,  festivities  in,  following  the 
coronation,  67;  illumination  of, 
69. 

Paterson,  Miss  Elisabeth,  the  wife 
of  Jerome  Bonaparte,  128  et  seq., 
283. 

Pius  VII.,  journeys  to  Paris  to  be 
present  at  the  coronation,  34 ;  re- 
ception of,  at  Fontainebleau,  36 ; 
goes  to  the  Tuileries,  39;  stipu- 
lates that  the  Emperor  is  to  re- 
ceive the  crown  from  him,  43; 
his  progress  to  Notre  Dame,  51; 
performs  the  coronation  cere- 
mony, 57  et  seq.;  at  the  Tuile- 
ries, 115;  left  his  abdication  in 


334 


INDEX. 


Rome,  116 ;  beloved  by  the  Pari- 
sians, 118 ;  his  portrait  painted  by 
David,  120 ;  baptizes  Louis  Bona- 
parte's second  son,  121;  leaves 
Paris  dissatisfied  with  his  jour- 
ney, 122 ;  his  quarrel  with  Napo- 
leon regarding  Jerome's  divorce, 
284. 

Plebiscite,  the  result  of,  announced 
to  Napoleon  by  the  Senate,  47. 

Polignac,  the  Duke  of,  his  life  saved 
at  Josephine's  intercession,  16. 

Pressburg,  peace  signed  at,  184. 

R^musat,  Madame  de,  on  Joseph- 
ine's court,  2 ;  describes  the  first 
Imperial  dinner,  7;  remark  of, 
concerning  the  flattery  of  Napo- 
leon, 71 ;  on  the  life  of  a  courtier, 
100 ;  acknowledges  Josephine's 
tact,  107;  says  of  Napoleon  that 
he  was  like  the  Grand  Turk  in 
his  harem,  111;  on  Napoleon's 
successes  and  the  excitement  in 
Paris,  157,  160,170;  quoted,  232. 

Republic,  the,  forgotten,  16. 

Riviere,  Marquis  du,  his  sentence 
modified  at  Madame  Murat's  re- 
quest, 16. 

Rohan,  Ferdinand  de.  First  Al- 
moner of  the  Empress,  101. 


Rolandsworth,  the  convent  of, 
benefited  by  Napoleon,  24. 

Saint  Cloud,  court  at,  4. 

Saint-Hilaire,  Madame,  105. 

Saint  Germain  the  Faubourg,  at 
first  scornful  of  the  Imperial 
court,  12. 

Se'gur,  General  de,  on  the  indis- 
position of  the  French  nobles  to 
appear  at  court,  13 ;  his  account 
of  Pius  VII.  while  in  Paris,  117; 
his  anecdote  of  Napoleon's  stay 
in  Mayence,  26;  his  account  of 
the  eve  of  Austerlitz,  165,  167. 

Stael,  Madame  de,  on  the  etiquette 
of  Napoleon's  court,  10. 

Talleyrand,  Grand  Chamberlain, 
77 ;  at  Fontainebleau,  293. 

Thiard,  M.  de,  counsels  Napoleon 
to  remain  in  Munich,  187. 

Tilsitt,  peace  of,  277. 

Ulm,  the  capitulation  of,  158. 

Vaublanc,  M.  de,  speech  of,  in  praise 
of  Napoleon,  82. 

Wiirtemberg,  the  King  of,  his 
physical  appearance  and  mental 
character,  284. 


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